Fall of Autumn, Week 5, Day 7

I pushed it away. Now was the time for rest, the time for recovery. As Sir Limrick laid me down within what must have been the carriage, I could feel the soft cushion hit my face. Then, I was out—my mana fatigue draining the energy that the adrenaline had given me.

As sleep consumed me, I dreamt. Not of metal cities or lost loved ones. Not of times better left forgotten or ghosts of my past.

I dreamt of the dark.

Of a whisper on the wind.

Of words, said both so recent and so long ago.

I dreamt of three shadows, protecting me from the light.

When I opened my eyes, it felt as if barely any time had passed—but the suns hanging low on the horizon told me it had been hours going by. I jolted up, staggering to my feet and pushing open the door of the carriage.

I used [Mana Sense] to check on my reserves, only to find them near replenished. That didn't stop the ache in my mana veins that told me I had pushed too far. That it would be a bad idea to call upon my darkness just yet. So, instead, I surveyed the forest.

Stepping out of the carriage, several knights rushed forward—all of which I recognized on sight.

"You all came," I said, a small smile on my face as I jumped to the ground. "You came for us."

Sir Neil was the first to speak.

"Of course we did, my Lady. We felt your power and rushed to the beacon you made."

Dame Siobhan was next.

"Nothing could have stopped us, Lady Nora. Not when we knew you were in peril."

I swallowed thickly, and my voice warbled when I asked, "Nothing?"

Around me, Dame Undein and Sir Limrick stepped forward. Sir Neil, Dame Arella, and Dame Siobhan joined them. They all kneeled down, one knee digging into the dirt even as their armor clanged around them.

Sir Limrick spoke, then, his voice hard and I fought back a flinch.

"By the Light of Dawn, the 43rd Contingent of the Dusk Knighthood recognizes its commander as the Fourth Light of Dawn, Countess Eunora Killian Dawn. By blood, birthright, and Divinity, you are our Liege-apparent without the Duchess of Dawn to command us."

I froze, my eyes darting not just between the five I connected with but the other seven full-fledged knights kneeling around the clearing and—I gulped—the two squires I knew quite well.

"Lady Nora, do you accept our fealty?" Sir Limrick asked, his eyes never leaving my face even as I frantically bounced my gaze.

I looked for hesitation, for regret, for reluctance. I found soft eyes and firm fists, pounded against hearts. I found nodding heads and smiling mouths. I knew, then, there was only one choice. Not for little Eunora, or the Eunora trapped within me, but for me.

There was only one choice that I wanted.

"I accept, Captain Limrick," I choked out. "I accept, and in return I offer what I can: my loyalty, my trust, and my power. For so long as I can, for as much as I can, for every day you protect me, I will strive to protect you as well."

Sir Limrick's grin was a blinding thing, even for a man who gave smiles freely. He was unlike Sir Rellar, with his towering build and stern expressions, but he was no less powerful.

"Now," I said, tears pricking at my eyes and a satisfying ache in my chest, "stand. Stand before your commander."

"We would like to join in, as well."

I turned, watching as the three spirits, no longer in monstrous shapes, approached. Their legs were small, and their heads barely passed my knees, but I cared not. So long as the spirits were here, I would love all their forms. Eldritch or otherwise.

"Noir," I said softly. "Haze. Shade. Thank you for protecting Dame Arella and Klein."

"Our Lady of Darkness, let us join."

I blinked, looking at the three spirits, "You are free to join whatever you please, Noir. You are your own. Same for you, Haze, Shade."

"You misunderstand," came Shade's soft voice.

As the shadows approached, they took to their knees as well. Together, they spoke as one.

"You created us from your very soul, gave us life over and over again in a thousand different ways. You loved us more than yourself. You fought beside us as more than master and servant. You give us freedom, even though we did not seek it."

My tears overflowed, emotion overwhelming me, and I whispered, "My shadows. Mine. You will always be mine, whether you choose me or otherwise."

"Our Lady of Darkness, we beseech you. We offer you a contract, from the three of us, named Spirits of Darkness. Noir, Haze, and Shade. We are no less than those of this world, and so we ask you to accept. Take our power as your own. Use us as you did today, over and over, as shield and sword and surveyor."

The clearing was silent. The knights fell back to their knees as darkness radiated from the three spirits. Their heads were lowered in positions akin to prayer.

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I swallowed the thickness in my throat.

"I cannot accept. Not as is. You are of me, inside and out. You are of darkness, made of the night. You are my family, my friends, my confidantes. I will only accept an equal exchange. Ask for something, anything. And I will say yes. For the three of you, I will empty myself of power, over and over again. All you need do is say so."

I watched as the grins on my spirits widened into sharp things, terrible things, their heads growing large but their bodies remaining small.

"We accept your bargain, our Lady of Darkness. We ask for a single thing."

"Anything." I nodded.

"Name the other thirteen originals. Architect and Advocate. Consul and Virtuoso. Mediator and Executive, and all the others. Name the first of their kind and take them as your own."

I hiccupped a laugh and snapped my hands to cover my mouth.

"Of course. Of course. You didn't even need to ask. They are family and friends both. They are no less than you, not in my heart."

Then the shadows were on top of me, Shade curling around my neck, Noir wrapping around my waist, and Haze gripping the top of my head.

And while the System continued to try and deliver a notice, another sensation appeared.

Before my eyes, three golden notices bloomed.

[Congratulations! You have contracted with an elemental of Darkness!]

[Congratulations! You have contracted with an elemental of Darkness!]

[Congratulations! You have contracted with an elemental of Darkness!]

I grinned, even as the knights around me remained in a worship position.

"Stand," I said, my voice hoarse, "Stand and meet my family."

"Your will be done, Commander!" They shouted in response.

It was in the privacy of the carriage that I braced myself. The System had been pushing and prodding and trying to convince me to accept its notice. I knew better than to open such a thing in public—who knew what it would contain? What misfortune or boon or other such uncertainty would appear? So I held off.

There was only so much harassment I could take, however, so even though I would have liked to find myself in my nook at the clock tower, I opened the notice the System was pushing into my mind with violence akin to the [System Integration] I had been forced to go through.

With a sigh, I let the verdant green notices roll in. One line after the other, over and over again, until the single notice took up the entirety of my view—and kept going.

With a groan, I began parsing the overload of information, only to find myself taken aback at what the System deemed worthy. Taken aback that, as it turned out, it deemed me worthy. Of everything.

I got credit for it all, every lance or throw, every cast of [Shadow Animation] and [Shadow Conjuration], every movement of my fingers with [Weaving] or shove of [Shadow Manipulation].

It was almost too much. So much.

[Combat Report]

[Aggregate]

[Skills Used in Combat:

Inspect Lv. 10

Weaving Lv. 12

Edge of Light Lv. 1

Quick Calculation Lv. 6

Silent as a Shadow Lv. 5

Weave of Darkness Lv. 11

Otherworldly Lv. 1

Mental Fortitude Lv. 12

Shadow Conjuration Lv. 10

Shadow Manipulation Lv. 10

Shadow Animation Lv. 11

Sophism Lv. 5

A Shade of Dawn Lv. 1]

[Hostiles Defeated:

142 Level 10 Twig Blights - Killed

6 Level 22 Vine Blights - Killed

1 Level 23 Vine Blight - Killed

3 Level 24 Vine Blights - Killed

2 Level 25 Vine Blights - Killed

4 Level 26 Vine Blights - Killed

3 Level 27 Vine Blights - Killed

3 Level 28 Vine Blights - Killed

11 Level 29 Thorn Blights - Killed

2 Level 30 Thorn Blights - Killed

1 Level 31 Thorn Blight - Killed

1 Level 32 Thorn Blight - Killed

3 Level 33 Thorn Blights - Killed

7 Level 34 Tree Blights - Killed

3 Level 35 Tree Blights - Killed

2 Level 36 Tree Blights - Killed

2 Level 37 Tree Blights - Killed

1 Level 38 Tree Blight - Killed

1 Level 39 Tree Blight - Killed

1 Level 77 Whisher Blight - Killed]

[Contribution: 82%]

[Level Discrepancy: Various]

[Overall Experience Modifier Adjusted for:

80% Contribution against Hostiles

Level Above Hostiles

10+ Levels below Hostiles

20+ Levels below Hostiles

30+ Levels below Hostiles

50+ Levels below Hostile]

[Achievements:

Utilized Weaving in combat for the first time. Extra experience applied.

Sustained Edge of Light in combat for the first time. Extra experience applied.

Utilized Quick Calculation in combat for the first time. Extra experience applied.

Sustained Silent as a Shadow in combat for the first time. Extra experience applied.

Utilized Weave of Darkness in combat for the first time. Extra experience applied.

Sustained Otherworldly in combat for the first time. Extra experience applied.

Utilized Mental Fortitude in combat for the first time. Extra experience applied.

Sustained Shadow Animation in combat for the first time. Extra experience applied.

Utilized Sophism in combat for the first time. Extra experience applied.

Utilized A Shade of Dawn in combat for the first time. Extra experience applied.

Defeated 10+ Hostiles at once. Extra experience applied.

Defeated 20+ Hostiles at once. Extra experience applied.

Defeated 50+ Hostiles at once. Extra experience applied.

Defeated 100+ Hostiles at once. Extra experience applied.]

[Post-Combat Results:

Skill Experience Applied to: Inspect, Weaving, Edge of Light, Quick Calculation, Silent as a Shadow, Weave of Darkness, Otherworldly, Mental Fortitude, Shadow Conjuration, Shadow Manipulation, Shadow Animation, Sophism, A Shade of Dawn

Skill Level Up! Edge of Light is now Level 2!

Skill Level Up! Edge of Light is now Level 3!

Skill Level Up! Silent as a Shadow is now Level 6!

Skill Level Up! Otherworldly is now Level 2!

Skill Level Up! Otherworldly is now Level 3!

Skill Level Up! Shadow Conjuration is now Level 11!

Skill Level Up! Shadow Manipulation is now Level 11!

Skill Level Up! Shadow Animation is now Level 12!

Skill Level Up! Sophism is now Level 6!

Skill Level Up! A Shade of Dawn is now Level 2!

Class Experience Applied.

Class Level is now 13.

Class Level is now 14.

Class Level is now 15.

Congratulations! You've learned the Class Skill: Shadow Grimoire. Shadow Grimoire is now Level 1.

Class Level is now 16.

Class Level is now 17.

Class Level is now 18.

Class Level is now 19.

Class Level is now 20.

Congratulations! Your Tier 1 Class is ready to progress to Tier 2.

Divine Experience Applied due to: Sophism, A Shade of Dawn

Divine Experience Evaluation: Approved.

Divinity Awarded.

Divinity Received: 20 Divinity.]

At the end, though, there was only so much emotion I could feel.

Because I received a familiar notification.

[System Notice: Warning! A large amount of experience was applied! The System advises taking a meditative state as soon as possible. It is estimated that your body will acclimate to the new attributes in: 1 Hours 29 Minutes 54 Seconds]

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