Chapter 502

The Threian salvage operation proceeded under the constant threat of disturbing an Owlbear's slumber. Workers, clad in their simple armor and the soldiers, silently butchered the carcasses of Laughing Wolves – their fur, already stained crimson, now slick with newly spilled blood. They worked with grim efficiency, their movements precise and economical. A low hum of activity, punctuated by the rhythmic *thunk* of cleavers against bone, filled the air.

Suddenly, a tremor ran through the ground. It wasn't the Owlbear stirring; this was different, sharper, more predatory. From the shadows between the fallen trees erupted a Dargan. Its massive form – a feline silhouette, larger than any horse, with the unmistakable saber-tooth canines of a prehistoric predator – burst into the clearing. Thick, leathery hide, covered in dried blood.

"Dargan!" a Threian soldier yelled, his voice hoarse and cutting through the sudden silence. The warning was too late for several workers.