Ethan rose to his feet, each breath dragging heavy as if weighed down, his gaze sweeping over the colossal beast sprawled lifeless. The once-golden striped fur was now soaked through with blood, muscles twitching one final time before falling still. Everyone stood frozen, struggling to believe they were still alive, their bodies slumping with exhaustion.
Lucas swallowed hard, caught his breath, then let out a rough, half-laugh, half-shudder: “It… it’s really dead…”
Ethan braced the broken stake against the ground, forcing his voice steady: “Don’t relax yet. This is where it gets hard. Handle it wrong, and all today’s work will be nothing but food for ants and scavengers.”
He motioned the group together: “Listen closely. First, we have to singe the fur, clean the hide so it won’t reek or
