After the earth vein sonic mapper finished its preliminary survey, Louis finally settled on a location for the trial excavation.
It was a hollow on the western side of the Seventh Mining Ring, where the rock strata were stable and the sonic echoes clear.
Compared with the abandoned mine tunnels crisscrossing the mountain, this was untouched ground that had yet to be eaten away.
Trial excavation began immediately. The process was rigorously divided into several stages, and everyone followed the "Operational Deployment Summary" issued by the Red Tide Fief Administration Hall.
During the first few days of construction, a tense but orderly atmosphere enveloped the entire Seventh Mining Ring.
The first sounds came not from hoes and pickaxes, but from the heavy hammer of the Earth Vein Sonic Device.
"Thud-thud-" Low-frequency vibrations spread through the mountain in widening rings. Technicians knelt against the rock, lightly touching hide-covered vibration plates to record every pulse.
Meanwhile, the geological survey team carried drawings and copper wire as they remapped the entire mining area under Valentin's direction.
The old mine maps were long out of date. Louis explicitly required them to establish the excavation lines first, ensuring the most basic level of safety.
Before long, a brand-new "Ore-Seam Map" appeared on their canvas screen. Red lines indicated viable deposits, black lines marked the remains of cave-ins, and blue lines showed areas that might contain water, boggy strata, or cavities.
"Only after drawing this map do you realize those nobles were digging blind," Valentin remarked as he studied it. "These aren't ore veins. They're traps."
Kyle looked at Louis standing nearby and could not help asking quietly, "My lord, this map..."
"I know why they failed," Louis said evenly. "That's why I intend to make sure we succeed."
Next came clearing the obstructions. Snow lay