Reader Mage-Stubbing August 10! Chapter 130: 130-We Are Outnumbered Two To One

Read chapter 130 of Reader Mage-Stubbing August 10! by A_Random_Turtle on NovelPedia.

Merlin straightened on his feet. He was still somewhat unnerved, held by the scruff of his neck by the cold, unyielding hands of the unease that had crept up his body. But he knew better than to remain that way for long. His Perception warned him, not weakened him, and the System had now finally told him what needed to be done for him to clear the first floor of the Tower. There was no time to be idling about. Merlin’s gaze swept over the scenery, alternating between the approaching horde of the Drachens of Stein, and the shivering bodies of those of Blatt. Krieger no longer had his warrior’s glint in his eyes, and Baba had frozen where he stood. The Raubtier was a creature that struck fear in the hearts of the Drachens. Even far more than the sandworms. Merlin could glean that much from the stiffness in the air, and the absurd mass of the monster. If no one took the initiative, they would all just stare until the beast arrived and they were trampled to death. Or they would run away with their tails tucked between their legs. Neither the former or latter was a good option. Both would result in the death of the Drachens, and the failure of the mission. “Are you okay?” Sofia asked, her voice quivering and her arm wrapped around Merlin’s. Merlin nodded. She turned to the Raubtier. “What is that?” she asked. There was only one answer. It was the monster Merlin had to kill. “We have to restore the momentum to the warriors,” Merlin noted, grabbing Sofia by the arm and pulling her close. There was a hurry in his words, and even though the young lady had been shocked by his actions, she remained silent. “Hurry to the rest. Tell them not to stand dazed any longer. I’ll try to restore fire in the hearts of the warriors; the guys should show their resolve by moving—doing anything at all. Understand?” Sofia gulped. “I understand.” Merlin nodded and let her go. She immediately hurried over to the second years assigned to their team, while Merlin burst through the cluster of warriors, appearing before them. Their dread was palpable. Every single one of them had distant gazes, and their spears trembled in their grasps. Merlin glanced Krieger’s way, hoping that the warrior had managed to retrieve his wits, so that he could take control of the situation. But, just like the others, he was lost, and further burdened by the fact that he was the leader of the warriors and could figure out no way for them to tackle the approaching monstrosity. Merlin could read it on the Drachen’s face. He turned to Baba next, but the old Drachen was even more lost, and, as for Zauberer, the dragonpriest was petrified. Merlin licked his lips. There was no other choice. “Warriors of Blatt!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, and yet his words seemed to go unheard. But it was not enough reason for him to give up. “I understand that you all must be frightened. It is only normal. Fear is normal.” He glanced his mates’ way. They had begun to shuffle towards the gate as was initially intended when the war was about to start. He gave a slight nod at Sofia and returned his attention to the Drachens. “But we cannot keep wallowing in dread when there are lives on the line. We are the last line of defense between the warriors of the village of Stein and those who we have promised to protect. If we let our fear keep us still, to be trampled upon like ants, the mothers, children, the old, all behind us, what will happen to them? Have you all given up before even taking a stand for yourselves?” The distant gazes of the warriors had a brief spark of life return to them. Their attention moved from the Raubtier approaching to Merlin, and their foreheads wrinkled. Displeasure fell on their faces shortly after. Merlin understood the expression. It was that which one had when they berated themselves. Krieger particularly looked especially disappointed at himself. And he wasn’t alone. Baba and Zauberer were no different. Merlin couldn’t blame them though. He too had been struck by fea