The initial three-week excavation proceeded very smoothly. Beyond the Lion Gate, the palace, and several tombs, a colossal stone wall named the Cyclopean Wall was unearthed.
This wall, in fact, constitutes the outer fortifications of the ancient city of Mycenae. The wall's average thickness is 6 meters, swelling to between 8 and 10 meters at its thickest. It follows the natural contours of the terrain, rising and falling with the landscape.
A characteristic feature of Mycenaean construction, evident in this wall and elsewhere, is the use of massive stone blocks stacked together without any binding material.
Considering the technological capabilities of that era, achieving such construction is legendary, especially since these structures have survived intact to the present day.
However, the number of portable relics found during this period was quite limited. Despite detecting significant precious metal responses inside a large circular shaft just beyond the Lion Gate, this did not expedite their progress.
Drawing from the combined experience of several archaeologists and metal detector readings, there is at least 10 kilograms of gold underground, along with numerous other metal artifacts, indicating a tomb rich with grave goods.
For archaeologists, an undisturbed tomb represents a treasure trove, as the artifacts uncovered can help reconstruct the life and times of the tomb's occupant.
Therefore, the area must be treated with care, and extracting its contents could require up to half a year or more.
"Actually, this already ensures our victory in the competition," Baron Paul remarked to Liang En as he once again visited the pit to check on the progress.
"Unless the other teams can find the tomb of Knight Roland or the ruins of Camelot, we are certain to win."
"But then again, you have indeed brought us another surprise. No one expected you to actually find this mythical city of Mycenae."
Baron Paul, a member of the Golden Dawn, had come primarily to discuss the relic development with Greek officials. It was also a perfect opportunity for him to engage in discussions about the excavation with Liang En.
It's well known that the overall economic situation in Greece is not great, especially with the government's budget deficit escalating. Naturally, there's not much funding or energy available for archaeological endeavors.
Yet, this archaeological site is extremely important, at least for Greece, which cannot afford to neglect or delay its excavation.
This is where the Golden Dawn can intervene, leveraging their resources and wealth to gain some commercial benefits and close access to the artifacts and excavation site.
For the Greek officials, however, this is not necessarily a bad thing. They can obtain the necessary funds for this crucial excavation, and the commercial interests they relinquish are completely acceptable at this time.
Naturally, according to the internal rules of the Golden Dawn, Liang En is assured a share of the most valuable parts of the upcoming investments, a policy meant to encourage internal exchange.
The organization was essentially founded for the mutual exchange of interests, and thus has specific rewards and penalties to ensure adherence to this purpose.
The reason Baron Paul volunteered so readily was partly due to his role being advantageous for negotiations with the Greek officials, and partly because he wanted to be at the site to gather firsthand information as soon as possible.
This firsthand information included archaeological data and Liang En's own survey reports, which is why Paul sought him out for a discussion immediately upon arriving at the site.
"This might be due to my good luck, coupled with my genuine talent in this field," Liang En chuckled after hearing Paul's reflections.
"In fact, on the Peloponnese peninsula, west of the Corinth Canal, I had prepared ten potential sites to explore one by one. But I never expected that the very first suspect site, less than 30 km from the Corinth Canal, would turn out to be my target."
"You're right about that, you indeed have an extraordinary talent," Baron Paul nodded in agreement. "So, bringing you into the Golden Dawn was definitely the right decision."
With the excavation progressing deeply, Liang En, as the discoverer, was no longer suitable for the role of on-site commander.
Thus, he soon found an excuse to hand over his duties and, along with Fan Meng and Joan of Arc, drove to Athens to meet with Pierce, who was attending a trade fair there.
Liang En was very satisfied with the work done on this archaeological project, as he had acquired six valuable cards.
Besides two 【Detection (N)】 cards and two 【Power of Legend (N)】 cards, he also obtained 1/3 of an SSR card and an SR-level skill card.
The 1/3 SSR card was the 【Barrier Breaker (SSR)】 obtained previously. Since the Mycenaean site is indeed linked to epic tales, it acts as a bridge between the mythical and the real, allowing him to gather a vast amount of energy capable of breaking the seals between the two realms to form this card.
Adding to the 1/
3 card previously acquired on Crete, Liang En now possessed 2/3 of this card, meaning that finding another artifact or relic of the same caliber would complete the card.
The other card could be considered one of the most practical in the SR category, named 【Atreus’s Treasury (SR)】.
【Atreus’s Treasury (SR)】: An ancient and well-preserved tomb outside the Mycenaean city walls, likely the final resting place of Trojan heroes. Due to these legends, the tomb naturally accumulates a significant amount of informational power, allowing historical explorers to convert this power into their own.
Skill Card (Permanent): The cardholder now gains access to a special storage space as large as the largest arched tomb near the Mycenaean city-state.
Each Legend Point supports the operation of this space for one day; once activated, a point is automatically deducted daily to maintain this space, which can be manually deactivated, causing everything within to vanish as if power was lost.
Due to the origin of this space, only objects deemed treasures by the user’s heart, certain weapons, some food, or animal remains can be stored within; all other items are strictly prohibited from entry.
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