Julius let out a grunt that sounded like laughter muffled under a layer of mud. He watched as Dylan crouched beside the first still-warm corpse, his hands trembling with exhaustion but his fingers nimble, probing beneath the creature's glistening, pustule-covered skin.
"But these aren't even classified beasts. What good could their gems possibly do for a full-fledged Awakened like you?" he growled, arms crossed over his chest smeared with black blood. His expression was a mix of disdain and raw curiosity. He spat a thick brown glob near a mutilated limb. "Vermin. Their gems—if they even have any—are worth less than the dirt under your nails."
