“This isn’t actually Ethan Harris?” Franklin Baker ran a hand through his slightly messy hair. He hadn’t expected that getting lost would land him in an entirely different world. No wonder this young man named David Clark had never heard of the Kingdom of Lordaeron. “But, why do you understand the common language of Ethan Harris?”

“I’m not sure either. It seems I have some kind of strange ability—after meeting you, I suddenly understood this language.” After a moment, David Clark had already figured it out:

Laura Smith could learn a new language in a short time by studying various fragmented records on ancient ruins and stone tablets. The reward he’d originally received from Laura Smith was most likely an upgraded, enhanced version of this ability, rather than just English knowledge as he’d first assumed.

This discovery made him very happy, and Franklin Baker’s appearance confirmed his suspicions about his own “golden finger”: after becoming the village chief, he had activated his cheat. This meant that in the future, more people from different worlds would appear. With this ability, he no longer had to worry about language barriers.

David Clark was overjoyed, and Franklin Baker didn’t find David Clark’s explanation hard to accept—he just gave David Clark a few more scrutinizing glances.

While they were talking, night had completely fallen. Franklin Baker had already noticed that Laura Smith and David Clark were moving firewood into the cabin, so he took the initiative to help. The three of them quickly prepared enough firewood, lit a fire in the cabin, and then sat around the campfire chatting.

Laura Smith didn’t speak the common tongue of Ethan Harris, and Franklin Baker didn’t speak English, so David Clark had to act as interpreter for their conversations, but overall it didn’t cause any problems.

After chatting for a while, Laura Smith was finally convinced that she really had come to another world. Franklin Baker’s appearance dispelled her last doubts.

With her suspicions completely gone—and after the string of disasters she’d recently endured, including a shipwreck, being struck, stabbed, and falling into a ravine—Laura Smith finally relaxed and soon fell asleep.

David Clark covered Laura Smith with an extra blanket, then sat back on his own bed to continue chatting with Franklin Baker.

Franklin Baker didn’t talk about his past achievements, only saying that he’d left home for certain reasons and was now wandering with no fixed abode, and somehow ended up here by accident.

“If you don’t mind, you can stay in the village long-term.”

Listening to Franklin Baker’s story, David Clark finally understood his current situation: in the Warcraft storyline, Franklin Baker was exiled after a conflict with his subordinates and for helping and saving an orc. After wandering for a while, he chose to live in seclusion somewhere in Eastweald—which, due to the future ravages of the Scourge plague, would later be renamed the Plaguelands, a name much more familiar to many. That’s also why David Clark had said he’d never heard of Eastweald; after so many years, such details were easy to forget.

“That sounds like a good suggestion.” Franklin Baker didn’t object to David Clark’s invitation. At this point, he really had nowhere in particular he wanted to go and was just aimlessly wandering.

The only reason he didn’t immediately agree was that he still couldn’t let go of his wife and son back home. Now that he’d somehow ended up in another world, he couldn’t help but wonder how he could get back. After all, when he was exiled, he was at least still in Ethan Harris, and if he missed his family, he could sneak back for a glimpse; but now, he didn’t even know if it was possible to return.

Franklin Baker fell silent, and David Clark also lay down on his bed. In the large wooden cabin, only the occasional crackle from the fire could be heard. Their minds gradually drifted, and when they woke again, it was already daylight.

David Clark sat up. The fire nearby was still burning, but the firewood was all used up—clearly, someone had tended the fire all night.

“No wonder I slept so soundly.” When he was alone, he could never sleep well; he had to get up from time to time to tend the fire and stay alert for wild animals.

Last night was different. With someone as strong and upright as Franklin Baker by his side, he didn’t have to worry about his safety at all. It had been a long time since David Clark had felt so at ease.

Just as he was wondering where Franklin Baker had gone, the cabin door opened, letting in more sunlight and waking Laura Smith.

She sat up warily at first, then remembered her strange experience. Laura Smith gave a helpless smile and greeted David Clark, “Good morning, David Clark.”

“Good morning, Laura Smith.”

Standing by the door, Franklin Baker saw that both of them were awake and greeted them as well, then shared some surprising news: “Good morning, you two. I think I know how to return to my own world.”

“What?” With David Clark translating, Laura Smith was thrilled when she understood what this meant. She was the one who most desperately wanted to go back: “How do you do it?”

“It’s simple. Just pick any direction, walk out of the village, and think about returning to your own world.”

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Chapter 4: Franklin Baker Decides to Stay

“Just think about returning to your own world and walk out of the village in any direction?” Laura Smith looked incredulous. “It’s that simple?”

“Yes.” Franklin Baker nodded. “I just tried it a few times, and it really is that simple.”