DOTM: Chapter 237/238

Chapter 237: Language Pack

"You said you wanted to catch a mount earlier. Don't tell me it's these giant spiders?"

After breakfast, he called everyone together, packed their gear, and left Goldshire, heading south back into the forest. It didn't take long before they encountered something rather unpleasant.

"Of course, it couldn't be something like this."

During breakfast, Ethan had casually mentioned that he might consider catching a mount. The one he had in mind wasn't easy to catch. He had only said it on a whim, recalling the bridle he had once wanted but couldn't obtain. Now, however, it seemed like there was a real chance of capturing the actual creature.

Unfortunately, wanting something and actually doing it were completely different matters. He wouldn't invest too much effort until he was confident enough. For now, Ethan needed to complete the current task and establish a connection with Marshal Dughan. If possible, it would be ideal to connect with some people in Stormwind City through Dughan, which would be helpful for his future plans.

Of course, even if Dughan couldn't do that, Ethan didn't mind. He had now basically confirmed the timeline and knew what the biggest crisis in Stormwind City was. If he wanted to truly integrate into the Kingdom of Stormwind, the simplest way would be to find Varian Wrynn, the one known as the "Wolf King." What could be a better option than establishing a connection with the king himself?





After swiftly and efficiently eliminating the giant spiders, Ethan and his team continued without delay and quickly reached the Fargodeep Mine.

"Our mission is just reconnaissance?"

"Yes, reconnaissance."

Without any attempt at concealment, they headed to higher ground. After killing a few ugly kobolds loitering near the entrance of the mine, Ethan and Logan stood on a high point overlooking the area.

Whether it was due to low intelligence or poor eyesight, none of the kobolds below noticed them, despite how obviously they were standing there.

"Although there are quite a few, they're spread out. Their alertness and combat strength are so poor that we could completely clear these kobolds one by one."

As a seasoned veteran, Logan naturally had solid reconnaissance skills. In fact, if he had enough weapons and ammunition, he could easily clear out all the kobolds below.

"It's called reconnaissance, but we can do a more thorough sweep."

Logan understood what Ethan meant. These kobolds posed no threat. Ethan was too lazy to report back only to return again for the actual fight. He preferred to solve the entire matter in one go, clearing out the kobolds in Fargodeep Mine.

"I don't need to lift a finger for this kind of thing, right?"

Loki had been standing nearby. Opponents like this couldn't even pique his interest, let alone make him want to crawl into that dark and dirty mine. He'd much rather stay outside.

"Indeed, you don't need to. So, what do you want to do?"

"I heard there's a city nearby. I want to check it out."

"We'll go later. No need to be impatient."

Loki looked at Ethan. "Why can't I go 'reconnoiter' by myself first? Are you worried?"

"I am worried." Ethan wasn't trying to make things difficult for Loki. Even Loki understood what Ethan was concerned about. "There's a very dangerous individual in Stormwind City right now, and I don't want to provoke her."

Onyxia, the Black Dragonflight matriarch, was currently active in Stormwind City under the guise of Katrana Prestor. At this point in time, much of the power within the Kingdom of Stormwind was secretly under her control. The calm and prosperous surface of the kingdom was hiding dangerous undercurrents, all orchestrated by this dragoness.





According to Ethan's plan, he would have to face her eventually, but that didn't mean he needed to disturb her now.

As an adventurer with unclear origins and no background, he was naturally at a disadvantage in terms of credibility. Confronting the Black Dragonflight matriarch head-on right now would only turn him and his group into enemies of the Kingdom of Stormwind. That dragoness would be all too happy to create an enemy like Loki for the kingdom. In the end, regardless of who lived or died, she'd be the ultimate winner.

Ethan didn't hide these things from his teammates. While clearing out the kobolds in the mine and collecting some gold and silver for expenses, they also listened to Ethan tell gossip and rumors about Stormwind City.

"This world is really unsafe."

Although he had long known that this world wasn't simple, Logan hadn't expected a legendary black dragon—one intelligent, magical, and able to take human form—to be lurking so close by.

From Ethan's description, the strength of the Black Dragonflight matriarch matched her status as a major villain. Even Loki could tell this was a formidable opponent. He wondered whether his still-unfamiliar frost powers could defeat her.

"A black dragon?"

Logan placed the firearm in his hand back into the backpack behind him. Using a weapon like that in such a confined space was almost guaranteed to destroy his hearing. He chose to use his wolf claws to handle the nimble kobolds instead.

In contrast, Selene performed even better. Agility and speed were her specialties, and this dark environment didn't hinder her at all. She had been accustomed to this kind of space for centuries. Almost every strike hit a kobold's vital point. Yes, Selene had also abandoned using firearms—shooting in the mine was just too painful.

She was now using two short swords, very ordinary ones taken from the standard weaponry aboard the Dawn. They didn't have any special properties, nor were they indestructible.

Yet, in Selene's experienced hands, these short swords showed impressive combat effectiveness. After prolonged use, since she had been targeting only the kobolds' softest and most vulnerable parts, the blades hadn't suffered any damage. A simple wipe left them looking as good as new.

"Fast, agile, and battle-hardened. If she learned some Death Knight skills, I wonder how much stronger Selene could become."

Stopping and moving along intermittently, Ethan meticulously recorded everything that happened in Fargodeep Mine, including how many kobolds were eliminated.

He suddenly realized something—ever since arriving in Azeroth, he hadn't encountered any language issues. Because everything had felt so natural and smooth, he hadn't noticed it until now.

He also remembered feeling dizzy during his arrival. It seemed that wasn't due to being seasick from the boat after all.

During this time, he hadn't participated in the fighting. Aside from recording, he was checking his own condition and organizing his knowledge. Eventually, he confirmed that he had received a portion of knowledge.

It wasn't much, just the common language of Azeroth, with fluent comprehension and writing. Besides that, there were no language packs for Elvish or Orcish.

After fully sorting everything out and once Fargodeep Mine had been completely cleared, Ethan finally spoke up about his discovery.

Everyone had already noticed this situation. They hadn't thought much of it at first, assuming Ethan had done something. But surprisingly, it wasn't actually because of him?

"So, the reason we understand the language and writing here isn't because of you?"

"It's still probably because of me."

Ethan glanced at his left hand. He sensed that his magic circle had changed again, though he hadn't figured out the specifics until now. He was now certain that a language pack for this world had been added.

He didn't know whether this was good or bad. Thinking back, if this had happened a few years earlier, gaining new language knowledge wouldn't have just made him dizzy, it might've caused days of headaches.

"Was this change due to my recent progress in space-time energy or magic? Or was it triggered because my teammates reached a certain threshold, automatically activating this ability?"

Ethan quickly ruled out the latter. When he was alone before, he had never received a language pack, which meant the situation must have been triggered by improvements in his own magic level, affecting the space-time magic circle.

By the time they left the mine, the trip from Goldshire to the mine had taken quite a while, but clearing the mine had been quick. They had entered around noon and finished before nightfall.

"It's a shame this world doesn't have experience points. Otherwise, we could just grind for a bit in suitable places."

After roughly figuring out the matter of the language pack, Ethan led the group back. Unlike the trip there, where they had to be cautious about getting lost, the return to Goldshire was faster. When Ethan and his group returned to town, the sun had just dipped below the horizon, and Marshal Dughan was making his usual patrol before nightfall.

"It's good to see you back safe and sound."

Marshal Dughan saw Ethan and the people with him. Upon seeing this "team," he felt more at ease. He hadn't known before that Ethan had so many companions.

"Here is my reconnaissance report on Fargodeep Mine." Ethan handed over the report, and Dughan's expression turned strange after glancing at it.

"You call this... a reconnaissance report?"

It definitely wasn't. A battle report would've been more fitting. Dughan hadn't expected Ethan and his group to not only thoroughly reconnoiter the mine but also clear out all the kobolds inside, collect a large amount of gold dust, and even retrieve a lost necklace.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 238: Faction Selection?

Marshal Dughan looked at the records in his hand and the necklace Ethan had handed him. He wasn't quite sure how to respond.

From the report, it was clear that a considerable number of kobolds had been entrenched in the Fargodeep Mine, including a kobold leader who was significantly stronger than the others. Had they really been cleared out in such a short time?

He knew that the kobolds' combat strength was nothing in the face of true powerhouses, but he hadn't expected such a powerful adventurer to accept the task he posted.

"I need to confirm this. I'll give you a response later." Marshal Dughan thought for a moment and decided to temporarily set the matter aside. He would send someone to the Fargodeep Mine himself to confirm the situation. If the report was accurate, he would need to give Ethan a proper reward and recognition. That was the most appropriate way to handle it.

"I'll be staying at the Lion's Pride Inn during this time."

"I'll confirm it quickly."

Putting away Ethan's report and the necklace, Marshal Dughan didn't immediately send someone. It was already dark, and sending people into the forest at night was no different from sending them to their deaths.

After bidding farewell to the sheriff, Ethan, Logan, and the others returned to the Lion's Pride Inn. For the next few days, they didn't wander aimlessly or take on any special tasks. They simply explored Goldshire, trying to understand the function of every building in town.

Overall, although Goldshire was much larger than in the game world, it was still just a town. Besides the Lion's Pride Inn, there was the Mayor's office and the Sheriff's office. Other relatively large buildings included the blacksmith shop and several businesses. The rest were ordinary homes.

The Lion's Pride Inn was also located in the busiest area of the town, surrounded by many businesses.

As the most important transportation hub in Elwynn Forest, Goldshire didn't have many soldiers stationed there, not even a full unit. There were only Marshal Dughan and about a dozen guards maintaining security.

Because of this situation, the dozen or so soldiers could barely cover the entire town and often didn't have the manpower to handle issues outside of Goldshire. However, this time, to confirm the Fargodeep Mine task, Marshal Dughan didn't rely on ordinary people. Instead, he sent two trusted soldiers.

These two soldiers moved quickly. A round trip to confirm the situation took just over half a day. They also checked the area around the mine and confirmed that no kobolds remained inside. They even discovered that the necklace Ethan brought back belonged to the mistress of a nearby farm.

Once he understood the situation, Marshal Dughan personally delivered the reward to Ethan. After settling the payment Ethan was owed, he also expressed his gratitude.

"What are your plans next, I wonder?"

If Ethan planned to continue adventuring nearby, Dughan could introduce him to local contacts depending on whether he went west or east. These contacts could help him and his companions with any issues.

In recent years, the Kingdom of Stormwind seemed prosperous on the surface, but those working in lower positions knew that many regions were facing various problems. Even Elwynn Forest, the heartland of the kingdom, had seen an increase in troublesome incidents in the past two years. Some of Dughan's old friends had often complained about being short-handed.

If he introduced Ethan to them, they would probably be grateful.

"I originally wanted to go to Stormwind City to have a look, but I've changed my mind."

He had initially intended to go to Stormwind City to find some down-on-their-luck mages or see if any druids were around. Now, he felt it would be better to find Varian first.

If he could rescue the King of Stormwind, then he could obtain what he needed through Varian.

Gathering information from the bottom up was far less efficient than starting from the top. He got this idea from Katrana Prestor.

After all, in Azeroth, knowledge was still monopolized by a small group, and most resources were controlled by nobles. The knowledge and resources possessed by a king far exceeded those of ordinary nobles.

Since he had the best option, Ethan naturally wouldn't settle for a worse one.

To find Varian, he needed to go to Kalimdor. That meant he would have to travel to Menethil Harbor and take a ship to Theramore.

This wouldn't be an easy journey, but he could rescue Windsor along the way. The Marshal had long sensed the turbulent undercurrents in Stormwind City and had resolutely gone into hiding.

He should currently be imprisoned in a Dark Iron dwarf prison, but he had realized Stormwind City was unsafe and that staying there might actually preserve his life. So, he was quietly waiting for a better opportunity and was in no rush to escape.

"Perhaps I can rescue this person first?"

If so, he would need to head east, go to Redridge Mountains, and then to the Burning Steppes. Although the road wouldn't be entirely safe, for them, it posed no real threat.

"I might go to Lakeshire, and then take a look at the Burning Steppes."

"Redridge Mountains?" Marshal Dughan frowned. To be honest, he was a little concerned. The places Ethan mentioned weren't exactly scenic destinations. The situation in Redridge Mountains was currently unstable. He had heard that Lakeshire was under threat from orcs and gnolls.

As for the Burning Steppes... things couldn't be worse there. Marshal Reginald Windsor of Stormwind had gone missing in the Burning Steppes, and the kingdom had long lost control of that region. No one knew how bad the situation was now.

"You're really going?"

"Unless something unexpected happens, I'll definitely go."

Ethan wouldn't tell Dughan that he was planning to find Reginald Windsor, whom many believed to be dead, and then take him to locate their missing king, Varian Wrynn.

"Good luck."

Marshal Dughan didn't try to dissuade him. Everyone had the right to decide their own future, and besides, he wasn't that familiar with Ethan, they had only spoken a few times. As an adventurer, Ethan's choices weren't something he had any authority to interfere with.

"I just hope that along your journey, you can lend a hand to the kingdom's commoners who are in trouble."

Marshal Dughan wasn't even sure if Ethan was a citizen of Stormwind. The Seven Kingdoms no longer existed, and not all humans belonged to Stormwind.

"I will."

The conversation ended there. Marshal Dughan returned to his duties, continuing to handle the various matters in Goldshire, while Ethan remained seated at a corner table in the Lion's Pride Inn, contemplating the details of his future plans.

Not long after Dughan left, Selene and Logan came over and sat down beside him. Even Loki joined them.

"Are we going to Stormwind City next?"

"No, we're going to Redridge Mountains."

This wasn't a game world. He didn't need to follow the quest chains from his previous life, unlocking the story step by step while doing side quests to level up.

Ethan's strength might not be top-tier, but it was enough to handle most enemies. He could completely ignore the "main plotline" and choose the parts of the "quests" that were most useful to him.

"What kind of place is that?"

Logan hadn't been idle recently. He had taken the time to learn about this world, but he had only focused on the Elwynn Forest area and had missed the surrounding regions.

Loki, on the other hand, had done more research and gave Logan a quick summary.

"East of Elwynn Forest is a region called the Redridge Mountains. It's mostly mountainous terrain. The largest town is Lakeshire, located on the northern shore of a large lake called Stonewatch Lake. That area is also the flattest region in the Redridge Mountains."

"You've done your homework."

"I had to understand the kind of place I've ended up in."

Loki didn't think this was anything impressive. He had gathered quite a lot of information. In fact, based on various sources, including rumors and Ethan's recent choices, he had already inferred Ethan's goal.

"You're planning to find the missing Reginald Windsor?"

Loki didn't lower his voice, but no one present was worried about their conversation being overheard. Both Loki and Ethan had cast interference spells to ensure outsiders couldn't hear them.

Ethan knew Stormwind's intelligence agency was everywhere. Who knew if there were any SI:7 operatives among the seemingly ordinary travelers?

Although SI:7 also had some doubts about Katrana's identity, they would definitely not treat a group of "outsiders" talking about the missing Marshal as friends. If they weren't careful, those guys might knock them out at night, drag them back to Stormwind, and lock them up for questioning.

"Yes, I want to try and find him."

"Are you sure he's still alive?"

The popular belief was that he had died in battle with the orcs. Only a small number of people believed he was still alive. No one knew why such a rumor existed, but oddly enough, it was actually true.

"If he's still alive, finding him will be helpful for the upcoming plan."

"Varian Wrynn?"

Ethan glanced at Loki, who wore a smug look as if to say, "I saw through you long ago."

"Yes, Varian Wrynn. Whatever we want, becoming friends with a king will make everything much easier."

Although Loki agreed, he offered another suggestion. "Actually, we could also choose to befriend someone else, couldn't we?" He didn't make them guess and directly stated the name. "Katrana Prestor."

(To be continued.)