Until the footsteps faded into the distance, Roy stepped over the shattered fragments of the lampstand on the floor and returned to the bedside.
She lifted the edge of the sheet with her toe, and a blast of hot air rushed out, carrying a sulfurous stench. The mixed beastman's breathing had become much heavier, clearly having been enduring with all his might.
Roy called softly, "Soto? Are you really awake?"
A rustling sound emerged from under the bed. Immediately, a scaly claw reached out, hooking onto the thick wool carpet, dragging the body out bit by bit from the dark, cramped space.
Arms, head, waist, and both legs and feet.
Soto, like a true giant beast, crawled on the carpet on all fours, instinctively raising his head to sniff at Roy's instep and calf. His pupils were crimson like blood, unfocused, yet his sense of smell remained astonishingly sharp, letting out a low growl at the bandaged wound.
