Adam and Silvana watched the Cave Grid for a while. From their vantage point, the place looked like an anomalous zone protected by the military.
In a way, they were right. Ordinary people could only go down to the Cave Grid if they had special permission and the necessary skills to do so. Otherwise, most of the fighting and resources from the Lower Ring took place at the Cave Grid, deep in the mines.
Orel shook off the ash at the lowest pointing to the western tower.
"That's our tower by the walls. To get to the Cave Grid through the west gate you need permission from the Red Bears. It's the sa situation with all the other gates. The n you see on the walls are ordinary n under our command.
"So of them are actually governnt agents, but few people know that. I think you've realized by now that the Cave Grid is the most valuable asset the Lower Ring and the Citadel have."
Adam's eyes went wide in disbelief. "W-Wait... I realize that the Cave Grid is important to the Lower Ring, but talking about the Citadel... Don't you think that's an exaggeration?"
"Hah, not at all," Orel shook his head. "Adam, I ntioned iron and coal for a reason. In addition to the resources inherent to the Dead Lands, there are various tals and rare earth elents at the Cave Grid."
With a slight glint in his eyes, Orel continued. "The common people, the miners, work at the Cave Grid both day and night, though at the Lower Ring, it is always night. So of the resources stay with us, and so we send to the Upper Ring. Coal and iron are only a fraction of what's available at the Cave Grid.
"Copper, tin, gas, oil, flint, tons of sand, stone, gemstones, but not for jewelry but for sophisticated engineering and dical devices. Even sothing like uranium is pretty easy to find at the Cave Grid. Transportation is no problem either because it's a well-established system that's been in operation for decades."
Silvana turned around, looking at Orel with genuine curiosity.
"But... Why the Cave Grid?"
"Hmm? Where if not here?" Orel raised an eyebrow. "Silvana, you're an Operator, especially from the Upper Ring. You graduated from the academy and work with the military, you're definitely smart. So, tell where the Citadel gets all its resources from?"
For a mont, Orel's eyes grew deeper.
"After all, at the Upper Ring, there are no mines, no caves, no hills or mountains where resources could be located, right?"
Silvana gulped, to her sha only one answer ca to her mind.
"From the Dead Lands...? Ghm!" she coughed bringing herself to order. "Forgive my rudeness, but are you saying that there are more resources at the Cage Grid than can be found at the Dead Lands?"
Orel chuckled briefly, taking another puff of his cigarette.
"Well, If you put it in that perspective... The Dead Lands are huge, dozens of tis larger than the Citadel and all the Bastions. However, you're wrong to make such a comparison."
"Agh...?" Silvana was confused. She was nervous as she didn't often find herself in a situation where she knew little.
"Do you have any idea how many resources it takes to build even one kiloter of Citadel walls? How much concrete and iron does it take to build one block or an entire neighborhood? How much energy does it take to keep hundreds of thousands of hos active, warm, and with electricity?"
Orel took a deep breath, looking up.
"Sure, at the Dead Lands, there are all the resources needed, but it's just not profitable. I'd even say it's incredibly unprofitable and pointless."
Silvana gulped. "Why? Why do you say that?"
"Hah, don't you realize that yourself?" Orel smirked. "When the Phantoms complete a mission, they collect resources. 90% of the ti it's monster parts and sothing that contains energy, which is an alternative to energy crystals. However, no one is going to assign Phantoms to a mission and send a plane after them to bring a few tons of coal to the Citadel. It sounds ridiculous and in practice, it would be even worse."
With a cold stare, Orel turned in her direction.
"How do you imagine it, Silvana? Are Phantoms going into a mine to dig for coal and iron? Or... The military and Harvesters do it while the Phantoms guard them? Co on, it's so stupid and, most importantly, ineffective.
"The Phantoms are valuable fighters, they go to the Dead Lands and risk their lives. So they should co back with the most valuable things they can carry: monster parts, energy-infused resources, and artifacts, that sort of thing."
Orel leaned forward, watching the three trucks pull out of the northern gate belonging to the Green Dragon.
"One successful mission should pay for all the risk, ti, and resources spent on the mission. After all, fuel for airplanes and trucks isn't free."
Then, he turned to Silvana.
"Now do you see what I'm talking about, Silvana? Getting a ton of coal at the Dead Lands is a lot harder, more dangerous, and a thousand tis less profitable than at the Lower Ring, and it's all thanks to the Cave Grid."
After a while, Silvana nodded slightly and bowed low.
"Yes, forgive my ignorance. I don't know anything about the Cave Grid. Please tell more about it."
Adam nodded weakly. "Yeah, I'm curious about it too. But to be honest, coal, iron, and other shit don't interest as much."
A sly smile showed on Orel's face.
"Oh, you want to know more about structure and monsters, don't you?" Orel's eyes lowered. "Well, it's pretty simple. The Cave Grid is hundreds of tis larger than what you see. What's more, we certainly haven't explored it all the way to the edges, we're constantly finding new caves and territories."
Adam nodded deeply.
"I see... Just like at the Wild Lands, right?"
"Hah, sothing like that. There are many levels of caves, and the deeper you go down the more dangerous the monsters you encounter. That's why regular people work closer to the surface, collecting coal and iron and sending it up to the Upper Ring. So that the factories can run and the people's hos can have light and heat."
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