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Emberfrost Ascendant
Chapter 90: A New Path—The Art of Soulsmithing

Chapter 90: A New Path—The Art of Soulsmithing

Kalen’s fingers traced the edges of the ancient scroll detailing a discipline he had never considered before—**Soulsmithing**. Among the many techniques the old man had left behind, this one called to him, resonating deep within his soul. It was an art unlike the combat and elemental techniques he had learned thus far. Instead, it focused on crafting and forging weapons, armor, and artifacts using the essence of souls, both living and dead.

As he sat by the fire in their temporary camp, his thoughts drifted to what mastering this skill could bring. Soulsmithing wasn’t merely about creating powerful weapons; it was about imbuing creations with life, with will, and with power drawn from the very essence of a soul.

Kalen unrolled the scroll, his eyes scanning the introduction:

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**Soulsmithing** is the ancient art of forging weapons, armor, and artifacts by binding the soul’s energy into the material. The strongest souls, when captured and refined, can grant immense power to the crafted item, bestowing it with unique abilities tied to the essence of the soul used. Soulsmiths are revered, feared, and often misunderstood for their ability to wield both creation and destruction.

- **Foundation**: Soul Extraction, Spiritual Refinement, and Essence Binding

- **Materials**: Metal, gemstone, and soul fragments

- **Main Tools**: Soul Hammer, Spirit Furnace, and Forge of Eternal Flames

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The deeper Kalen read, the more intrigued he became. Soulsmithing was a delicate balance between life and death, creation and annihilation. The most powerful souls could create legendary weapons, but mishandling a soul could result in catastrophic failure, either by corrupting the creation or even destroying the smith.

"Soulsmithing is dangerous," Sorin remarked, noticing Kalen's intense focus on the scroll. "You're already juggling elemental flames and the void. Do you really want to add souls to the mix?"

Kalen smiled slightly, knowing Sorin was right, but the allure of forging something unique, something personal, was too strong to ignore.

"I’m not abandoning my path," Kalen replied. "I believe soulsmithing will help me perfect it. Imagine a weapon that evolves with me—one that could channel the power of the Voidflame, the abyss, and everything I’ve learned."

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Sorin sighed, crossing his arms. "Just don’t end up burning your soul in the process."

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The next morning, Kalen sought out an empty stretch of land near their camp, the old man’s Soul Furnace tucked beneath his arm. He spent hours reading the scroll, carefully memorizing every detail. The process of Soulsmithing was intricate and required both patience and precision. The most important aspect was the ability to sense and manipulate the essence of a soul.

Kalen sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, focusing inward. The first step in Soulsmithing was *Soul Extraction*—the ability to capture the energy of a soul and separate it from the body without damaging its essence. He had seen remnants of souls before—whispers in the Void, flickers in the flames—but to intentionally seek and harness one was different.

Drawing upon his Voidflame, Kalen slowly summoned the cold, dark energy of the abyss. He let it flow around him, using it to sharpen his spiritual perception. Soon, he sensed faint traces of souls in the environment, lingering from fallen beasts and warriors who had died in the region.

With a deep breath, he began the process of *Soul Extraction*. His mind reached out like a web, carefully snaring the loose fragments of souls around him. Once captured, he funneled them into the Soul Furnace, where they would be refined and bound into the material of his choice.

For his first creation, Kalen decided to start with something simple—a dagger. He pulled out a piece of black steel he had scavenged from one of the old man's treasure rooms and placed it inside the furnace. The black steel had a natural affinity for spiritual energy, making it an ideal medium for soulsmithing.

As the steel heated in the Soul Furnace, Kalen performed the next step: *Spiritual Refinement*. The captured souls needed to be purified and stripped of their lingering memories and desires, reducing them to pure essence that could bond with the metal. It was a delicate process; too much refinement, and the soul would lose its potency. Too little, and it would retain too much of its former self, potentially causing the creation to rebel.

With steady hands, Kalen guided the souls through the furnace’s flames, refining them until they were nothing more than glowing orbs of spiritual energy. Each orb was then carefully infused into the molten black steel, merging soul with metal.

Finally, the time came for the *Essence Binding*. Kalen placed the molten steel on the forge and began to hammer it into shape, every strike of the Soul Hammer resonating with the souls bound within. He focused intently, channeling his own energy into the creation as well, allowing his Voidflame to temper the blade. The heat of the furnace and the icy chill of the void intertwined as he worked, molding the dagger into a masterpiece.

As he hammered the final shape into the blade, the souls within reacted, binding tightly to the metal. The dagger gleamed with a faint, ethereal light, the souls inside granting it a life of its own. It wasn’t just a weapon—it was a living, breathing entity, tied to Kalen’s own essence.

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Hours later, Kalen held the finished dagger in his hands. The blade was black as night, but it shimmered with a ghostly light. He could feel the power of the souls inside, waiting to be unleashed. With a thought, the blade responded, its edge flaring with a faint flicker of Voidflame.

Sorin watched from a distance, impressed despite himself. "So, what can it do?"

Kalen smiled, tossing the blade in the air before catching it effortlessly. "It’s more than a weapon. It’s an extension of myself, bound by the souls that fuel it. It will grow as I grow, and its power will evolve with me."

He flicked the blade towards a nearby boulder, and with a single slice, the rock split cleanly in two. The souls within the blade surged, amplifying the attack with a burst of dark energy.

Sorin raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

Kalen stared at the blade for a moment, feeling its connection to him. This was only the beginning. With soulsmithing, he could create weapons and artifacts that would help him in his journey through the higher realms. Each one would be unique, powerful, and personal—a reflection of his own cultivation and growth.

And with each new creation, his mastery over the art would only deepen.