456,000 soul fragments were used.
In a single enchantment, Damian had torn his soul in two, making him incapable of crafting any significant enchantments in the future. Sacrificing half his life force, a powerful second-ranker could live for over 150 years—but he had shortened his own life by more than 70 years just to create a single runic tool.
But it was finished.
Lifewarden stopped pouring his mana into the spear, finally extinguishing the flames. Runefather also let the massive ladle rest, shutting off the forge beneath it. Inside, an abyssal black, liquid fire-like metal swirled constantly. It was neither solid nor liquid, radiating heat that made even third-rankers sweat—yet, paradoxically, it was cool to the touch. It was as if magical flame had been condensed into physical form, something that neither felt real nor behaved like any normal object.
"What.. is it?" Mindseer asked. She couldn't even perceive the fate of the thing.
