Noah crouched lower behind the fallen log, his gaze sweeping over the clearing one last time.
He counted twenty guards on strict patrol rotations, and what looked like enchanted barriers.
A frontal assault would be suicide, besides, he didn't need to fight them.
He only needed them gone long enough to slip through.
He raised one gloved hand, summoning a spell formation above his palm.
Pillar of Judgement.
The column of fire leapt from his palm to slam into the trees about a hundred meters into the forest to the left of the clearing.
It blazed upward, consuming trees in its radiant fury.
The roar of flame shattered the quiet of the night, and immediately, alarmed shouts echoed through the soldiers' camp.
"Fire!" someone shouted. "A mana flare in the forest!"
Another voice barked orders. "Squad One and Two, move! Contain it before it spreads to the supply tents!"
