Elden Ring DLC has been officially announced!!!
Who wouldn’t go crazy waiting for the DLC?
Dammit, I’ll blow up the Erdtree with one punch!
— As they left together, Wilden asked Mia for the weapons of the other Soldiers.
These included a greatsword, a straight sword, two daggers, and a brass shield.
Mia generously gave all these things to Wilden.
It seemed that as long as Mia willed it, the equipment in the storage space could change back and forth between her size and the normal size.
Wilden carried the greatsword and brass shield on his back, a straight sword on each side of his waist, and two daggers hanging behind his waist.
Combined with the greatshield and spear already in his hands, he was like a Christmas tree, clattering with every slight movement.
Mia herself replaced her short spear with a higher-quality Royal Army spear.
The spear’s wooden shaft was entirely coated in red lacquer and adorned with brass reliefs.
(A pity it doesn’t drop in the game.) It was almost too beautiful to use in battle.
In addition, Mia put on a chainmail shirt she had stripped from a Soldier underneath her Noble’s Traveling Garb.
chainmail was indeed heavy, but when distributed over the whole body, it didn’t hinder movement.
Moreover, there were soft clothes on both the inside and outside of the chainmail, so it wouldn’t make noise even when running.
As for the gambeson…
Mia felt the Soldier’s gambeson was too worn and dirty.
Soft armor sewn from multiple layers of cotton and linen couldn’t be cleaned as easily as chainmail by just wiping it down.
To avoid disgusting herself, Mia gave up on the stronger defense.
Anyway, a single piece of chainmail was enough for her for now; Mia saw herself as a sorcerer, not a knight.
The exit of the Cave of Learning led to Mia’s official starting point, the cave illuminated by the light of an Erdtree sapling.
There was only one way to leave this place.
Following the man-made tracks, she pushed open a tall stone door atop a solemn flight of stairs.
This was the Stranded Graveyard.
She still didn’t know why it was called that.
Mia and Wilden emerged from the grotto and, after passing through just one burial chamber, arrived at a fork in the road.
Ahead was a brightly lit path, with candles and torches burning with inextinguishable white ghostflame placed on both sides of the corridor, leading to a room ahead.
To the right was a tall gate, composed of four stone pillars and three arches.
The gate had no door panels but was instead obscured by a thick mist.
The strange mist had a physical form.
When Mia touched it, it felt like touching cold glass.
The things hidden by the fog were blurry, though she could just barely see that it was a spacious area.
That way led to the true depths of the Stranded Graveyard.
Mia turned her gaze to a gargoyle statue beside the mist door.
If a Stonesword Key wasn’t inserted into the statue, the mist door wouldn’t open.
Unfortunately, Mia didn’t happen to have a Stonesword Key.
No, even if she had a Stonesword Key, the things in the deepest part of the Stranded Graveyard weren’t something she could handle right now.
Wilden was looking around; he had no idea that the exit of the cave that had trapped him would look like this.
“Go forward,” Mia said to him.
In her vision, there was a grace ahead.
Wilden walked straight through the light; he couldn’t see it.
Mia walked over and lightly touched the grace, and all her fatigue vanished in an instant.
Then she looked up and, without lingering too long, quickly followed Wilden ahead.
At the end of this corridor was the room housing the tomb lift.
The two of them stepped onto the circular stone platform.
Mia stepped on the pressure plate in the middle of the lift, and after a slight vibration, the elevator began to ascend.
Before long, the elevator stopped.
Continuing upward and walking across a short flight of stairs, the dusty, heavy metal door appeared before Mia.
She reached out both hands to press against the door and leaned her body forward.
It didn’t budge an inch.
“…” Ah, forgot.
This door has to be lifted.
Changing to an extremely difficult posture, the girl attempted to lift the door.
“Let me,” Wilden said, stepping forward.
Together, they exerted their strength to lift the gate high.
The door rose smoothly and didn’t fall back down even without someone holding it up.
‘Phew…’ If even the lift can be made fully automatic, why can’t the door?
The girl took a breath and, meeting the golden radiance, stepped out from the Stranded Graveyard.
‘Is that the Erdtree…’ Only by tilting her head back forty-five degrees could she clearly see that massive Erdtree.
It occupied a vast portion of the firmament; under the dark sky, the Erdtree, emitting its golden radiance, was the sun of The Lands Between.
Although it looked smaller than it did in the game, shock and wordlessness were still the only feelings Mia had left after seeing the Erdtree.
How sacred, how vast, how inviolable.
Mia swallowed hard.
Turning back, Wilden also emerged, lowering his head to pray silently to the Erdtree he hadn’t seen in a long time.
“We’re out.” Mia said.
She didn’t dare keep staring at the Erdtree, fearing she might lose herself in her own insignificance.
It wasn’t that the Erdtree was eroding her mind, but simply that it was too massive.
Looking up for too long made her feel dizzy.
“Yeah.” Wilden gazed at the tree.
Unlike Mia, Wilden was a subject of the Erdtree; when he looked up at it, his golden eyes were filled with longing.
“Hey!” Mia called out.
Only then did Wilden snap out of it.
“It’s been…
a very long time since I last saw the Erdtree,” he replied.
The Soldier raised his greatshield again: “Now, can you tell me what you want me to help you with?” “Yes.” Mia nodded.
“I want you to take me to Stormveil.” “To Stormveil?” Wilden asked.
Unfortunately, his withered face couldn’t form very detailed expressions; otherwise, Mia would have seen him frown.
“What is it?” Wilden replied, “Before I was trapped in the cave, my king, Godrick, was collecting powerful Tarnished like you for the Grafting Ceremony.” “I don’t know how long I’ve been in that cave, or if the Banners of the Tree and Lion still fly over Stormveil Castle.” “But I think you must be clear about your goal.” Wilden looked at Mia.
“Hmm…” Mia thought for a moment.
If she said directly that she wanted to see Godrick and give him a beating, Wilden, as a Soldier of Godrick, certainly wouldn’t be happy.
“Stormveil is still under the rule of King Godrick.
He is also still hunting Tarnished.
I just need you to escort me to the foot of Stormveil Castle, and then your help will be complete.” On the way to Stormveil, they would encounter many of Godrick’s Soldiers.
And as a Tarnished returning from outside The Lands Between, she clearly wouldn’t be welcomed by the “Grafting” Godrick’s Soldiers.
If she could travel with Wilden and disguise herself as a Tarnished being taken for grafting…
she might be able to avoid many battles.
Seeing Wilden hesitate, Mia added, “If you’re unwilling…
just taking me through Stormgate would be fine…” Even if Wilden refused out of loyalty to Godrick, Mia wouldn’t feel she had lost anything.
After all, helping Wilden leave the Cave of Learning was just a matter of convenience; even without him, Mia would have had to kill that Greatsword Soldier to get out.
Besides…
Wilden had given her quite a few Runes.
So, even if Wilden disagreed, Mia would find it reasonable.
If he agreed, it would be the icing on the cake.
Mia felt the probability of Wilden agreeing was low.
Sure enough, she heard Wilden say, “I will help you.” “Ah, I understand if you’re unwill— Wait, what?
You…” “I said I will help you.” “…Oh.” Now it was Mia’s turn to be surprised.
“Really?” she asked uncertainly.
“Yes.” Wilden nodded, picking up his spear and shield.
“Let’s go.
From here to Stormveil, walking day and night, it will take five days.” “Wait, how many days did you say?”