Lucian ignored Akasha for the moment, shifting his attention and staring at the dead canine properly.
It was twice the size of an average dog, with almost no fur on its body, leaving its bare skin clearly visible to the eye. Its skin was slightly red, stretching tightly over bulging muscles, while its milky eyes appeared completely lifeless and hollow.
Lucian took the knife, tightening his grip over it… and stabbed it into the creature's chest, a sickening, wet sound echoing the moment the blade pierced through flesh.
Then—
Without flinching, without pausing, Lucian placed the knife aside before shoving his black-gloved left hand into the gap of its wound.
'Ugh…'
His face twisted slightly in discomfort—feeling the unnatural texture of its muscles and tissues—as he searched for the core inside its body.
After a few seconds, he pulled his hand out, as a dark, small, rough-textured, marble-like shard resting on his palm.
