Chapter 24: The Bastion
After leaving the house, Mikael moved toward the Bastion. After a brief journey, he saw the Bastion's exterior. About two kilometers away stood a 20-meter-tall stone wall encircling the area in a circular shape.
But this wasn't the real problem for infiltration. The real challenge was the armed soldiers stationed atop the wall, each equipped with automatic rifles. If that were the only issue, it might have been manageable, but the guards were alert, actively scanning for any potential threats to the Bastion.
Floodlights illuminated a 100-meter radius around the Bastion, and armed guards patrolled the walls, making infiltration nearly impossible.
'If I try to get in, I'll be detected even if I go at max speed. I'm not fast enough to cross the 100 meters of illuminated ground, climb a 20-meter wall, and do it all without being spotted...'
'If only I could go invisible, but I haven't learned any spells yet. So, I'll need to find another way inside.'
Mikael circled the Bastion, looking for an entry point. All he found was a closed wooden gate, useless for a stealthy entry.
Realizing there was no obvious weakness to exploit, he began to strategize. 'Maybe I could try digging under the wall? No, that would require a tunnel over 100 meters long, and it would take far too much time—not to mention, I have no idea if I could even construct a tunnel that holds up.'
'Hmm, underground is out, but what about coming in from above? I'd need some kind of catapult... Yeah, that's not happening either. Even if I somehow managed to build one, the landing would be painful, maybe even fatal.'
'Underground and sky approaches are off the table,' he thought, studying the wall carefully. 'Maybe I could destroy the floodlights from a distance, then use the darkness to slip in. Better than the other ideas, but still risky. If I hit the lights, it'll alert the guards unless they're completely oblivious.'
With a plan in mind, he collected eight small rocks and positioned himself 120 meters from the wall. He identified the four largest floodlights, carefully practiced his throwing technique, and took a deep breath before launching the first rock.
Shatter.