Exile listened to Skovi's point of view regarding everything that had been going on during his recent absence. Skovi and his pack had taken care of scouts sent in from neighbouring regions, but the situation was getting worse. The war map that Exile had looked at did not reflect the troop movements near the borders of Yugrund that Skovi told him about.
'There's bound to be a lot of oversights like this. Everyone's looking at the big picture and getting the other Pantheons' followers into these regions. So they're not looking for enemy armies or troops probing our current situation.' Exile let out a long sigh. That was something they would have to fix. They needed people to patrol the edges of their current borders to stop the enemy from gathering any intelligence.
'We're almost there...' Exile sighed after running at full speed for two hours. Even from this distance, he could feel the presence of a player on the road up ahead. 'Seems like they really want to know what we're up to.'
He was certain that the enemy player must have noticed him, too. But he doubted they would do anything if he left them alone. The player's aura marked him as being below Tier 1 so they should be inclined to avoid him if they can.
"Skovi, hide in the woods over there. I don't want any of the enemy gods to know about you just yet." Exile frowned as he looked at the wolf.
"I'll stay close, Master. If you need me, just let me know." Skovi partially growled before taking off into the woods and blending in with the white scenery.
Exile slowed down as he felt he was drawing close. A mound of snow on the road blocked his view from where he was, but it only took him a few seconds to clamber on top of it. There, below his elevated position, was a large camp of enemy warriors. A crude wooden fort of a sort had been erected across the road to prevent any waggons from using it without going through their inspection.
Exile could clearly see the player he had felt standing in the middle of it by the side of the road. Her face was turned towards him with a grim expression. 'Seems like I was right. She's not thrilled by my presence here, but does not dare to try to chase me away.'
Exile committed the layout of that encampment to memory as he tried to guess at how many warriors were within. 'It'll take a bit of effort to clear it. Honestly, I'm surprised only one player is here. Maybe we should send five or six of our own with the NPCs in case they send reinforcements now that I've paid a visit.'
That was one option, but not the first thing he wanted to try. He wanted to cause problems for the enemy right away. While standing there with a grin on his face, he used Lesser Miracle and targeted one of the warriors patrolling the exterior of the encampment on his side. As the options appeared, he let out a short laugh before making his selection.
'If Skovi is anything to go by, then this should be the first step to creating a monster to harass them.' Exile stood there smiling at the now nervous looking player while waiting for his spell to take effect. Soon, the camp went into an uproar as a black bear rushed out of the forest while growling.
The man that Exile had targeted turned to see a huge paw aiming directly for his face! Just like that, the warrior crumpled to the ground, dead. He did not even have the time to react to the sudden attack as the bear continued to maul the body before retreating into the woods before the others could reach it.
Exile let out a smirk as he saw the furious expression on the female player's face before he disappeared into the forest himself. The sounds of angry warriors came from the encampment as Exile felt a pulling sensation in his mind. Similar to when he was drawn to Skovi, when he was just a simple wolf.
'Let's hope this works!' Exile chuckled to himself as he followed his senses. The bear had not gone too far, at least, not for Exile. His speed allowed him to catch up rather quickly, but it would take the warriors a bit of time to find them. The bear froze as Exile rushed in front of it. It seemed that it could sense his presence.
The great beast lay down in the snow and looked towards him with an almost pleading expression. As if it could sense that Exile did not have good intentions for it. Exile shook his head as he moved towards it. His hand reached out and patted the bear's head. 'I'm sorry, but I have to find out how useful this ability might be for myself.'
The same system messages that had appeared when he created Skovi popped up in his mind. However, he could not help but hesitate when it came to choosing whether to bless or curse the creature. He had to take a deep breath and steady his nerves before choosing the option to curse it.
[You have created a new mythological creature (Cursed Divine Bear Variant). Please select three from the following options for the gifts it will receive.]
[1. Mankiller: This cursed creature is more powerful when facing humans.]
[2. Ironhide: This cursed creature's fur becomes as strong as iron. Making it extremely difficult to wound.]
[3. Regeneration: This cursed creature will become able to regenerate its wounds fairly quickly. Making it difficult to slay.]
[4. Toxic: This cursed creature's claws will produce a deadly venom. Even the slightest scratch will spell death for any mortal within a few hours.]
[5. Frenzy: This cursed creature will enter a frenzied state when attacked. It will be unable to retreat until everyone who caused it harm lays dead around it.]