"Do not fret, Torrent. There is still hope."
"At last I have found you, child of the lost."
"I pray you may become the Elden Lord."
—
Lying on a bed of frigid gravel, feeling icy water seep through her spine, staring up at the cavern's dark, jagged ceiling, Mia realized—
She had transmigrated.
To reach such a conclusion within the first minute of opening one's eyes was no small feat.
Most people, upon encountering something like this, would first suspect a prank. Or perhaps kidnapping.
If Mia were to think that way, it would be unnecessary.
First, she had no close friends reckless enough to pull a stunt like this.
Second, considering the public safety situation back home, kidnapping was immediately ruled out.
And third—
Anyone who frequently reads light novels or watches anime knows that being hit by a truck and waking up in another world is practically routine.
As for how she herself was flattened by a truck and sent across worlds… that requires rewinding a little.
Our protagonist. The name says it all—Mia. Surname Mi. Female.
Not interested in men.
Twenty years old. A student. No gym habits to speak of.
Beyond that, she was a dedicated scholar of the Ring—a content creator who specialized in Elden Ring lore analysis. Occasionally, she worked part-time as decorative ambiance at Starbucks.
That day had been ordinary. She was seated in a café, preparing footage and materials for her next video.
Then—
A piercing horn.
Screams.
She looked up just in time to see a green-plated sedan bearing a silver T-shaped emblem burst through the café's glass doors and charge straight toward her—
And the next time she opened her eyes, she was here.
Thus, within a single minute of staring at a cavern ceiling, Mia had accepted the truth.
She had transmigrated.
Right?
So then—
Where was this place?
Mia pushed herself upright.
And immediately saw it.
A small golden sapling stood ahead, its trunk gilded, its branches radiant, its texture like amber catching the light. It grew brilliantly amid the rubble of this cave.
"…"
Had she been punished for overanalyzing game lore?
The instant she saw the scene, she knew.
She had entered the world of Elden Ring.
And not just anywhere.
This was the Stranded Graveyard—the game's opening area.
Well… technically, not the very first location. That would be the Chapel of Anticipation.
Was that good news?
At least she hadn't spawned directly in the Chapel and been beaten senseless by the scripted boss.
But was transmigration truly a blessing?
Some time later—
Mia slumped into a stone-backed chair at the edge of a cavern drop. Beside her, a translucent spirit gazed at her in bewilderment.
There was a saying in another fandom:
"Those who hear they've transmigrated into the Warhammer universe cry like a grot."
Mia felt—
Transmigrating into one of Miyazaki's worlds wasn't much different.
Both were doomed worlds, teetering on collapse.
Perhaps Warhammer was even kinder.
At least there, one might still have a chance at a peaceful life.
But in Elden Ring…
As a Ring scholar, Mia prided herself on understanding this world.
The Golden Order, upheld by the Erdtree, had fractured.
The cycle of souls had been broken.
Rotting flesh imprisoned tormented spirits. Madness gnawed at the minds of the Lands Between's inhabitants. The fields were filled with wandering husks, empty of purpose.
Ancient glory had long since faded.
The air itself carried only desolation and suffocation.
That was this world.
Mia did not believe she possessed the strength of a Tarnished. She was nothing more than an ordinary student.
Why were isekai worlds in anime always bright and verdant?
Why had she arrived in this forsaken place?
"I want to go home…"
Transmigration was not wonderful at all.
What about her family?
Her parents must know she had died.
What about her little sister? Her grandparents?
"I'm hungry."
…Yes.
Hunger was different.
Hunger existed outside thought.
Hunger was real.
Which meant this world was real.
Was there any way back?
If she fell asleep and woke up in a hospital ICU—half-dead but alive—
…On second thought, perhaps not.
Humans were contradictory creatures.
And besides—
This transmigration had not brought only misfortune.
The greatest change was her body.
She was no longer a flat-chested college student in her early twenties.
Instead—
Skin like white jade. Bones slender and delicate. A body thirteen or fourteen years old—past childhood, not yet fully a maiden.
She lifted a strand of hair. Long, golden, slightly curled. Soft as a cat's fur.
There was only one problem.
She had become one of Miyazaki's favorite archetypes—
A flawed beauty.
Mia could only see while wearing the mysterious cloth blindfold over her eyes. Remove it, and the world plunged into pitch darkness.
It wasn't that she disliked flawed heroines…
But still.
…Sigh.
Well, as long as she could see with it on, that would have to do.
If this was reincarnation after death, then living again was already fortune enough.
Even if this world demanded battle.
So be it.
She had died young in her first life.
In this one, she would accomplish something.
Something grand.
Something a mere Earth-born human could never achieve.
First goal—
Become the Elden Lord.
Mia rose and examined herself.
This outfit…
It resembled the starting garb of the Prophet class.
Blindfold. Tattered yellow robe. Barefoot.
At least the heavy neck shackle and iron manacles were missing.
Was that Miyazaki's mercy?
After all, forcing a small, delicate girl to wander the Lands Between dragging iron chains might be a bit too… mature a taste.
The spirit who had previously occupied the chair seemed to sense her rekindled resolve. It approached with practiced solemnity.
"Tarnished. Leap down. Seek battle. Reclaim the memory of a warrior."
"A warrior…?"
Mia peered into the cavern below.
The Cave of Knowledge.
The tutorial area.
As someone who had cleared the game more times than she could count, this place was nothing.
Mia inhaled deeply.
Then leapt into the cave—
Thud.
Headfirst.
The guiding spirit leaned over the edge, staring down at Mia's neck bent at an impossible angle, and shook its head helplessly.
After some time, her body slowly dissolved into ash and scattered.
—
(The End.)
Just kidding.