Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 261 Star Forging

The mountain winds were sharp, cutting through the continuous mining ridges along the northern edge of Xuefeng County. The thick snow had not yet melted, but the mountains had already exposed layers of mottled rock bones, like a lurking steel behemoth.

Louis stood atop the hill, a thick cloak draped over him, looking down at the bustling scene below.

The sound of axes and chisels echoed through the mountainside, carrying rhythm and power.

Craftsmen wielded picks and hammers in front of the mine tunnels, where rows of semi-underground wooden houses were neatly embedded in the ground, with wisps of smoke rising from the ventilation shafts.

Several snowhorn cattle were slowly walking out of the stables, pulling sleds loaded with stones toward the dispatch area.

A small irrigation canal draws water from the cracks in the rocks, its water clear and transparent, flowing around a water purification device before entering a drinking water tank.

The entire mining camp was already taking shape as a "territory".

This is the new territory he named Starforge Territory.

Unlike the Wheatfield Territory, which Louis built from scratch, this important area located on the northern edge of Snow Peak County, with a 30-mile-long ridge mining line, has had abandoned mineral veins since ancient times.

Now, under his leadership, it is being reawakened.

Flint marrow oil, Qi vein stone, demon marrow ore, scorched iron... each vein of minerals is like a wealth vein chosen by fate, crisscrossing beneath his feet, waiting to be awakened.

He immediately recognized that these ores would form the backbone and lifeblood of the future Red Tide military industry.

Louis, wearing a grey-white trench coat, stood on the snowfield and exhaled softly.

This is not the end, but the beginning of the fire.

He seemed to see a city forged in fire in the future, a crucial foundation for his domination of the North.

"My lord." A middle-aged knight in thick fur and armor rode up at full speed, bowing slightly. "Starforge Commander, Kyle, reporting to you."

"Thank you for your hard work." Louis patted his arm armor, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings. "This place is developing faster than I expected."

Kyle smiled proudly upon hearing this, his slightly rough voice husky: "Many infrastructure projects have been completed. The dormitory area is finished and can accommodate nearly 10,000 residents."

The initial support for the three main mine tunnels has been completed, the truss structure has been fully reinforced, and the reserved tracks are in place. There is also a dispatch center for daily work arrangements and inventory registration.

He paused, then pointed to four watchtowers on the mountain path further away: "Of course, defensive outposts have also been built, although they are temporary wooden structures, they are sufficient."

Louis scanned the camp, his gaze sweeping over the neatly arranged dormitories, the temporary command post, and the newly reinforced mine entrance at the foot of the mountain.

A slow, subtle smile played on his lips: "Kyle, well done. I didn't choose the wrong person."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried great weight.

Kelton straightened his back immediately, his eyes brimming with undisguised pride and gratitude.

Then, with a solemn expression, he knelt on one knee and said, "The first batch of mineral layers can be mined at any time. Your Excellency only needs to give the order."

Louis shook his head slightly and withdrew his gaze from the snow-capped mountains.

He looked down at the undulating mine slopes and said calmly, "There's no rush, we have to take it one step at a time. This mine isn't one that can be opened up casually."

Kyle paused, then quickly suppressed his eager expression and waited quietly for the adult's explanation.

“This place…” Louis slowly walked toward a bare rock layer, his palm touching the cold ore. “On the surface, it seems bustling, with well-formed mine tunnels, orderly craftsmen, and a full complement of manpower, but in reality, every stone is buried with bones.”

His tone was not loud, but it had a steady, heavy quality, like a knife pressing down under the snow.

“Long before we arrived, too many nobles had tried to develop the mines here. They brought miners, technicians, mages, knights, and a whole trainload of gold coins and fantasies, but what happened in the end?” He flicked the ice shards off his fingertips. “The people were gone, and the mines were never opened.”

Kyle's brow twitched slightly, revealing a hint of worry.

"The terrain is too complex, the mineral veins are scattered like fish bones, and the rock strata are severely fractured. If we are not careful, the whole line could collapse."

Louis gazed at the cracks in the mountainside, the abandoned mine tunnels that had been dug out resembling deep, dark rifts: "And among all those mine tunnels on the mountain, which one is real, and which one is a dead end? Nobody knows."

Kyle's expression darkened: "I know this place is difficult... but from what you've said, it sounds more like a cursed land."

“It’s a curse.” Louis looked at him, his tone surprisingly gentle. “But the curse itself is also an opportunity, an opportunity to dominate a region. The question is whether you can afford the price.”

Kyle frowned upon hearing this. He had expected the mission to be difficult, but he hadn't anticipated it being described as so difficult by Louis.

Louis turned around and laughed, "But just because they can't do it doesn't mean we can't. Don't worry, how could I not be prepared before coming here?"

I have been preparing for this for a long time. I will forge this Starforged Territory into the sharpest blade of the Crimson Tide!

Upon hearing this, Kyle suddenly looked up, a burning light flashing in his eyes.

"Pass down the order." Louis looked around at the nascent camp. "Have the accompanying knights and artisans rest for a day, and replenish their supplies, repair and inspect all the mine supports."

He said in a resolute tone: "Mining will officially begin tomorrow."

…………

The next day came quickly.

Before dawn, the mountains were already tinged with a pale blue glow from the snow, and the wind still carried the chill of the night, but voices were already rising in front of the mine tunnels. Louis stood on a high point below the command platform, looking down at the seventh mining ring.

Instead of mobilizing all the workers, he set the mining site on a relatively flat section of rock on the west side of the mining ring that had not yet collapsed.

This area was originally a branch of an old mine tunnel. Due to its relatively stable rock strata and small temperature variations, it was judged as a "low-risk area" by mining master Valentine.

“Right here,” he nodded to Kyle beside him. “Dig one first, a new mine tunnel, start from scratch.”

Kyle accepted the order and then sounded the horn for the pilot program.

Those who stepped into the mountain were all veteran miners and skilled technicians brought by the Red Tide. They were experienced, spoke little, and moved steadily.

The goal proposed by Lewis is clear and quite easy:
Verify the depth of the ore layer distribution to confirm whether the Magic Marrow Ore and Qi Vein Stone are buried 20 feet below the surface as predicted in the atlas;

We also need to test the stability of the rock strata and analyze the post-blast shock to prevent large-scale collapse.
There is also monitoring of geothermal reactions, observing the flow direction of the hot rock zone and its interaction with the permafrost boundary, in order to prevent high-temperature steam from destroying the main well in the future.

However, before mining officially began, the sound of hammers striking crane beaks did not immediately rang out at the entrance of the mine tunnel.

Instead, a group of old craftsmen busied themselves around a pile of strange tools.

The heavy boxes were opened, and the parts were taken out, wiped, and assembled one by one. Some people squatted on the ground to tighten the bolts, while others carefully hammered copper nails along the rock wall.

The entire mine tunnel looked less like a preparation for mining and more like a temporary installation of a ritual.

Kyle glanced at it and said, "This is... a new explosive device?"

“No, it’s more important.” Louis stood to the side, looking at the crowd, his expression calm. “I ordered them to install ‘Gland Sound Wave Devices’.”

"A sonic device?" Kyle frowned slightly.

“To put it bluntly,” Louis said softly, turning his head, “it’s a device that draws mine maps by listening to the sound of the ground being pounded.”

This equipment was conceived by Louis a few months ago and was the result of gradual research, improvement, and experimentation by experienced mining master Valentine and a group of craftsmen from the Red Tide Territory.

Its structure is crude, even a bit barbaric—but it is effective.

The entire device consists of three parts:

The most eye-catching thing is a large machine called a vibrator, which looks like a giant steam hammer.

It uses pulleys and steam to drive a heavy hammer, which repeatedly strikes the rock wall or the ground, each strike producing a deep, thunderous sound that makes one's feet go numb.

These shockwaves travel underground and bounce back when they encounter cavities, veins, or other structures.

The second part is the "echo receiver nails". The knights drove more than a dozen metal nails into the rock wall, and each nail was connected to a thin copper wire, all of which were connected to the main equipment.

These nails are like ears, able to "hear" the sound of the returning shockwaves and transmit the sound back to the main unit.

These echoes will eventually be displayed on something called a "diaphragm resolution disc".

It was a taut drum made of animal hide, with copper plates inlaid along the edges.

When the echo returns, the drumhead will vibrate slightly. The higher the vibration, the more likely there may be cavities, mineral deposits, or other anomalies underground.

Several elderly craftsmen were examining the eardrum intently, some even taking notes.

Master Valentine patted the drumhead and explained with a smile:
"To put it simply, it's about listening to the sound when you smash the ground. If the sound is off, there might be something good hidden there."

He pointed to a slightly bulging spot: "A thumping sound like this is from solid rock. A hollow sound here is likely from an abandoned mine tunnel."

This one made several ringing sounds...tsk, who knows, maybe it's a hidden layer, maybe it's a secret ore deposit.

He shook his head with a sigh and said with a smile, "I've been in the mining business for thirty years, and I never thought I could find minerals by listening to others. It's all thanks to Lord Louis's idea."

He paused, his gaze falling on the young lord who was speaking quietly with Kyle not far away. His eyes were filled with respect, and his voice involuntarily lowered a few decibels.
"To be honest, we in this line of work all rely on experience, but Lord Louis isn't the kind of person whose hands are calloused from years of experience. However, he sees things more clearly and thinks further ahead than we do, which is why he was able to come up with such a great invention..."

On the other side, Kyle stood to the side, watching the taut animal hide drumhead tremble slightly with the vibrations, and a strange feeling arose within him.

The old mine beneath our feet, which had been silent for centuries, seemed to have truly "come alive."

They are communicating with the mountain in another language.

It wasn't flames, steel rods, or blood and sweat, but sound waves and echoes.

This set of instruments looks crude and doesn't even have much of a magical feel to it, yet it transformed the entire pilot mining operation from "blindly digging" into "a well-documented and evidence-based prospecting operation."

It's like lighting a torch, making the road ahead no longer entirely unknown and a gamble with one's life.

This is something only Louis, from Earth, could have conceived of; it's not magic, but the culmination of technology.

He looked at the group of craftsmen busily working around the equipment, and then at Louis, who was flipping through blueprints not far away, and a sense of peace welled up in his heart.

Next, they'll really get to work with hammers and start mining.

(End of this chapter)