Chapter 91: Oil Port
The oil loading base has simply been dubbed the Oil Port. Depending on the reserves, it could potentially become a permanent facility, but for now, it is expected to be a short-term operation, so there was no need to come up with an elaborate name.
“Speaking of names, I think it’s about time we decided on the official name for the Second Fortress,” Eve said.
“Yes, Ma’am. Do you have any candidates in mind?”
“Not at the moment, but I’m sure something will come to me.”
Well, since it will be kept secret from the outside world for a while, there’s no rush.
The Oil Port is currently in the process of constructing a pier and drilling into the seabed. The pier itself is made of metal, and the little spider-like machines are busily assembling it. The construction ship that arrived yesterday has already deployed its equipment for the seabed drilling. They are using high-pressure water to fracture the seabed, sucking up the soil and seawater together, which then passes through a multi-stage separation mechanism to separate the two. The soil will be used for land reclamation, packed into cellulose fabric bags, and dropped into the sea one after another.
“It’s amazing how quickly they can dig,” Eve remarked.
“Yes, Ma’am. The methods used here were all tested during the construction of the Second Fortress, and we adopted the most efficient one. According to the plan, the drilling work should be completed in about three days. Once the pier is finished, we will be able to load and unload directly from large cargo ships, allowing us to swiftly head to the oil fields.”
“Cargo ships, huh? The ones we built for resource transport. Are they carrying equipment?”
“Yes, Ma’am. They are currently transporting 80 multi-legged tanks, 150 multi-legged heavy machines, 120 small work units, a full set of oil drilling plants, and 20 multi-wheeled connected transport vehicles. A cargo aircraft simply cannot handle this volume, so maritime transport is essential.”
“That’s true… Hmm, I can’t believe we’ve gathered so much. It’s overwhelming.”
She recalled the early days after the Transfer, when they had struggled with a shortage of supplies. Every endeavor was hampered by a lack of resources, and they had been living day by day on the edge, depleting their reserves. While they still weren’t overflowing with resources, the production of equipment had dramatically improved.
“That said, we are still far from our former glory. I wonder if we can find a large-scale iron ore deposit.”
“Yes, Ma’am. We are currently exploring. The seabed deposits seem to be the most promising. Although our search for oil plant construction has temporarily halted, once it starts operating, we can pour resources into it. The use of resin materials will expedite the construction of platforms.”
It had been 690 days since The Tree discovered the seabed deposits. Although it had taken an incredibly long time, they could finally see a glimmer of hope. The estimated reserves were 100 million tons, and that was just in the waters surrounding The Tree. Furthermore, while still unexplored, it was speculated that there were enticing underwater resources like hydrothermal deposits and methane hydrates yet to be discovered.
“The possibilities are expanding… though there is the issue of monsters.”
The seabed was vast. According to Ringo’s estimates, the oceans spanned three times the landmass of this planet. So far, no threats from monsters had been found in the waters around The Tree, but it was highly likely that their absence was merely coincidental. The more The Tree expanded its operational area, the higher the probability of encountering such threats.
“Over on the Northern Continent, oceanic navigation isn’t very active. Information about sea monsters is limited and not particularly useful. With no predecessors, we have no choice but to feel our way forward.”
And for that, sufficient armament was necessary. This was a lesson learned from their battle with the Rain Croin. When dealing with monsters, overwhelming force was essential. Therefore, when constructing the seabed platform, they had to allocate resources for both defense and offense, which had been a source of considerable concern regarding resource distribution. Ultimately, they had opted for Ringo’s recommended menu.
“For now, we definitely want to secure the oil in front of us. What about the advance reconnaissance team?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Aerial reconnaissance is proceeding smoothly. So far, no threatening creatures have been discovered. The coastline is sandy, but the inland area seems to have vegetation typical of a steppe climate. The dry land is covered with low grass. While the terrain isn’t too hilly, there are exposed rocky areas, which may complicate establishing a straight route. We will deploy multi-legged machines as soon as the geological map is completed.”
Currently, they were using propeller aircraft from the Second Fortress to create a map of the area surrounding the Oil Port. Due to altitude restrictions, they couldn’t conduct a full aerial survey all at once, but that was unavoidable. The map was essential for selecting a transport route connecting the oil wells and the Oil Port, and it was also crucial for the construction of pipelines.
By the way, until the pipeline is completed, they would be using multi-wheeled connected transport vehicles to transport the oil. Since these vehicles were not multi-legged, they required relatively flat roads. They could traverse some uneven terrain, but they couldn’t navigate steep slopes like the multi-legged vehicles could. Although they had considered multi-legged transport vehicles, they were ultimately not adopted due to the ground pressure issues caused by the weight of the oil during transport. While it seemed that equipping them with numerous legs like a centipede could solve the problem, the resulting increase in failure rates made it an unfeasible option.
“I think multi-legged transport vehicles would be a good idea,” Eve mused.
“Yes, Ma’am. If we were transporting lighter materials, we could consider it. However, they are not suitable for oil transport.”
“Well, it can’t be helped.”
She thought that it might be useful as a supply vehicle for local invasions, but for now, she decided to put that idea on hold.
“Alright. Olive has submitted the defense plan for the drilling facility. Let’s review it together.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
It had been 700 days since the Transfer. On this day, The Tree launched its first large-scale unit group onto foreign territory.
Along with the already airborne troops, a massive force consisting of four multi-legged ground mother units, 112 multi-legged tanks, 180 multi-legged heavy machines, 161 small work units, and 20 multi-wheeled connected transport vehicles began their incursion into the desert.
Some remained to guard and construct the Oil Port, but the majority advanced along the pre-selected route. The multi-legged tanks kicked up sand as they raced forward, confirming the route, followed closely by the multi-legged ground mother units, with the multi-legged heavy machines trailing behind in a formation. The ground, trampled by hundreds of multi-legged machines, had become relatively flat, allowing the last multi-wheeled connected transport vehicles to maintain a good speed.
By the way, the appearance of the multi-wheeled connected transport vehicles resembled that of moving tanks. As long as there was space to carry the oil, there were no issues; the driving seats were omitted for automatic control. The power source was an in-wheel motor, and there were no large engines mounted on the body. This resulted in a simple yet eerie vehicle that had tires directly attached to a massive tank. Furthermore, they would be traversing the desert in a connected formation of four vehicles.
“Could it be the Demon King’s army?” Eve wondered aloud.
However, it was somewhat ironic that the very person who had strongly advocated for this formation would say such a thing.
“As a countermeasure against the Forest Country, particularly the multi-legged reconnaissance vehicles, there is a risk of being spotted, so it might be a good idea to camouflage them with designs resembling local wildlife.”
As a result, some of the armor panels on the vehicles would be replaced with designs that emphasized curves. In the event that their presence was discovered by the Lebresta side, it was hoped that they would be mistaken for monsters.
“If we show ourselves carelessly, it might cause a commotion, with people claiming we’re the Demon King’s vanguard…”
The armor placement for joint protection of the leg joints contributed to a foreboding atmosphere. These multi-legged reconnaissance vehicles were scheduled to be deployed for security around the oil fields. If time allowed, they were also considering advancing into the areas surrounding the fortress line.
“Well… as long as we don’t get caught, it should be fine…”
She murmured this with a tone that suggested she wasn’t too optimistic.