.

The guys moved along the next branch, now they were already almost level: after several instructions and a couple of hours of practice, Yang learned to move without notifying everyone ahead of his approach. Now he looked much more focused and calm than some time ago, which once again confirmed the correctness of Elim's decision to make a halt and let his friend calm down.

Maybe we should leave some notes, otherwise I'm not sure that we can go back, "Ian said quietly.

They wandered around the dungeon for quite some time and Jan was not sure where they were and whether they could return back, along the way they met several forks and intersections of tunnels, so it was not surprising that he had such an idea.

"I remember exactly where we are, don't worry, but if you want, we can draw a map in the phone so as not to keep everything in our head, since the 21st century is outside," Elim replied.

With his experience, he didn't need this, he could keep in his head a map of a real maze and navigate it perfectly, but where could his friend have such abilities? So, so he wouldn't worry, they drew a map using some kind of app on Jan's phone. It turned out rather crooked, but it was enough to keep his friend calm.

After some time, Elim stopped abruptly and raised his hand with a clenched fist, this was not the first time, so Ian, who was moving a little behind, immediately stopped, trying not to make any sounds. Elim showed him some conventional signs that they should use when it was impossible to speak. They were simple and intuitive, so remembering them, for Jan, was not difficult.

During their journey, this happened several times and almost always it meant that the enemy was ahead. After several fights, Yang reacted to the meeting with the enemy much more calmly: his heart still began to pound madly, but there was no longer any trembling in his hands. Elim, meanwhile, listened to the sounds in front, they were very quiet, but by concentrating, he managed to understand that the sounds in front were the sounds of battle. And if the two sides fight each other, then this is a great chance for the third party to finish them all off. "Someone is fighting ahead, get ready, if there are few of them, we will attack," informing his comrade, Elim quickly moved forward, and a moment later his friend followed him.

As we moved, the sounds of battle became more distinct and even Yang could hear them well now. Elim could already see ahead that at the intersection of the tunnels there was a small open space in which goblins and kobolds fought. He slowed down and leaned against the wall, Yang without words repeated after his comrade, after which they continued to move forward.

Meanwhile, the battle was gaining momentum: the goblins, with a numerical advantage, practically surrounded the kobolds, but among them there were several mages who held back the onslaught of the enemy, and during their respite, ordinary kobolds entered the battle. Among the goblins, Elim also noticed a few unusual ones, somewhat similar to the goblin commander he killed on his first campaign. But most likely the main one was a goblin in a gray robe with a wooden, painted mask on his face and hung with a bunch of different amulets with bones and God knows what else. In his hands he held a small wooden staff, the top of which was a medium-sized orange crystal.

"Shaman ... with a magic crystal in his staff! Judging by the color - fiery, most likely, the magic of fire "- commented on what he saw in his head Elim. Shamans were quite revered in goblin society and used magic in a variety of ways, from elemental magic to dark magic and curse magic. The shaman did not take part in the battle in any way and just watched, next to him were two well-equipped guards.

There were about three dozen goblins, and a little more than ten kobolds, so the course of the battle was a foregone conclusion. Although there were several mages among them and now they fought on an equal footing with the goblins, as soon as the shaman enters the game, the scales will tilt in the direction of the goblins and they will end.

"And I was hoping for an easy prey, if everything continues like this, then as soon as the kobold mages get tired, the shaman will enter the battle and the goblins will do without serious losses. Either attack now or leave. "

Elim began to move backward and after moving some distance explained the situation to Jan, who also understood the position in which they found themselves.

- I propose to attack. - Yang immediately voiced his proposal.

Jan really wanted to catch up with Elim, who had already reached level 2, no matter what happens, Jan is still a young guy and the sense of youthful pride has not gone anywhere. Elim also wanted to attack, but seeing how his friend was behaving, this desire began to subside. He had no doubt that he could run away if necessary, but he could not say that about Jan, even with his [Petrification], if he was surrounded, it would be quite difficult for him to get out.

- Okay, but if I say run away, you run, is that clear?

- Yes.

- Exactly? "Elim wanted to make sure his friend would back down as soon as he said.

- Do not be afraid, I want to live more, if you say to retreat, I will do so, - Ian, of course, wanted to catch up with his friend, but still there is nothing more valuable than his own skin, while he is alive he can do whatever he wants ...

- Then we act like this, you saw that masked goblin with the guards? Let's attack him first, the guards are on you, and I'll take him on myself. The fight will be long, so try to use [Petrify] only when necessary to avoid wasting mana. And yes, goblins, as I have noticed, are rather shy, so if you scream at the top of your lungs during an attack, you can gain an advantage, but this is unlikely to affect their leaders.

Ian nodded, indicating that he understood everything, after which they slowly moved towards the battlefield. The situation remained the same: the kobold magicians still held back the onslaught of the goblins with the help of their spells, while the goblins tried not to fall under their blows, trying to exhaust the enemy, making it easier for the shaman, who, as before, simply watched the battle from the sidelines.

Elim prepared to attack and drew up a plan for the coming battle. The shaman and his guards stood practically in the center of the free space between the tunnels, while the rest of the goblins pressed their opponents against the wall. Their position was on the side of everything that was happening, so if you hit quickly, you can kill the shaman instantly. Now Elim was waiting for a convenient moment to attack, and when one of the kobold magicians created a particularly powerful spell, attracting the attention of everyone present, Elim, and after him and Yan, rushed at full speed towards their opponents.