Sogen was surprised by everything Mr. Rudriger told him. However, Mr. Rudriger said, "Boy, we should leave the matter of the curse for later because you are not strong enough to unravel all the mysteries of this case." Sogen nodded in agreement, knowing that he was indeed weak and had a long way to go. Suddenly, Mr. Rudriger asked him what he planned to do with his spiritual power. Sogen was confused by the question. Seeing his confusion, Mr. Rudriger explained, "Boy, your clan has never produced a spiritualist, so you are unaware of many things. You should first check your spiritual power. Learn to feel your surroundings through the spiritual energy meridians and start to spread your energy."
Sogen attempted to follow Mr. Rudriger's instructions. As he spread his energy, the whole workshop filled with spiritual energy. Mr. Rudriger was stunned; everything in the workshop began to levitate. Suddenly, he instructed Sogen to stop. As Sogen halted, everything returned to normal. Mr. Rudriger remained quiet for two minutes until Sogen called out to him. With excitement, Mr. Rudriger exclaimed, "Boy, do you have any idea how much spiritual energy you possess? You could easily be among the top in the entire empire, not just in this empire but counted as one of the top prodigy spiritualists on the whole continent." Sogen was amazed to hear this.
Mr. Rudriger then asked Sogen what he intended to do with his spiritual energy. Confused, Sogen replied, "Isn't a spiritualist someone who makes pills? So, I will also try to make pills."
Mr. Rudriger sighed in disappointment. "Boy, it's not your fault, but rather your clan's. You have no knowledge about spiritualists. You only know that they make pills and use some of that energy in battles. However, those with much more spiritual energy, like you, can do something else." Sogen listened carefully, eager to learn what else they could do. After a brief pause, Mr. Rudriger finally explained, "They can make 'soul essence weapons.'"
It was the first time Sogen had heard these words. He repeated them after Mr. Rudriger and then inquired about it. Mr. Rudriger started explaining that many people know about spiritualists, but very few understand the concept of 'Soul Blacksmiths.'
"Soul Blacksmith," Sogen thought to himself, but he had no idea what that entailed. Mr. Rudriger continued, explaining that while many knew about spiritualists who made pills, that was not their only capability. "There is another thing they can create: weapons—soul essence weapons. You've heard that spiritualists can embed a small part of a soul into pills to enhance their power. In the same way, Soul Blacksmiths can embed soul essence into weapons, making them stronger than before. But as spiritualists are rare, only one in a million is born with significant spiritual energy. Similarly, Soul Blacksmiths are even rarer; only one in a hundred spiritualists can become a Soul Blacksmith."
Sogen had heard about spiritualists, and now he learned of Soul Blacksmiths, which left him even more astonished. Suddenly, he asked Mr. Rudriger if he could become a Soul Blacksmith and how he might achieve that.
For the first time, Mr. Rudriger smiled at Sogen and replied, "Boy, you can indeed become a Soul Blacksmith. But it won't be easy. To become one, you need to learn about runes, the soul embedding process, and you must start practicing with your spiritual energy to master it."
Sogen thought about leaving the workshop to learn about runes and spiritualism. But then a notification popped up in his status window.
"Quest Update: Ask Mr. Rudriger to make you a Soul Blacksmith and help you become a spiritualist. Rewards: 10,000 system coins, Basic Book of Runes."
Sogen was stunned by this revelation. He wondered how someone working in a small workshop could accomplish what even the major clans of the empire struggled to do. Then, he remembered how Mr. Rudriger had trained him over the past months, realizing that he knew more about spiritualists than his own clan. Sogen concluded that Mr. Rudriger was not an ordinary person and deserved more respect than he had given.
He asked Mr. Rudriger if he would teach him. Initially, Mr. Rudriger showed a glimmer of joy, but then sadness washed over his face. He responded, "Boy, I'm not a special person, nor do I belong to a clan. I lack the resources to train you. Although I can teach you about being a spiritualist and a Soul Blacksmith more than any clan could, I don't have the means to help you advance your rankings. I know you want to leave the workshop because of your talent, so I won't stop you."
Having trained under Mr. Rudriger for several weeks, Sogen knew he was not an ordinary man. The training Mr. Rudriger provided had made Sogen more powerful, and he understood that Mr. Rudriger harbored a hidden past, leaving him cold and expressionless. This deep wound seemed too painful for Mr. Rudriger to share, which is why Sogen never inquired about his past..
Sogen said after hearing the news, "Sir, even though you don't have any resources, I still want to be taught by you, and I don't need any resources."
"Boy, I am not asking for your opinion. I am telling you this. Now leave," Mr. Rudriger replied.
"Sir, if you don't teach me, I will stop being a spiritualist and will instead train only in cultivation energy with you in the workshop."
"Boy, I fire you from my shop. Now leave!" Mr. Rudriger said firmly.
Sogen was taken aback by this but felt powerless to respond as Mr. Rudriger insisted that he pack his belongings or he would throw them out.
Sogen packed his luggage but sat outside the shop with it, declaring that he would not leave until Mr. Rudriger agreed to teach him. He was not doing this solely for the sake of the system quest; he knew that if Mr. Rudriger taught him about being a Soul Blacksmith and Spiritualist, he would learn more effectively than from anyone else. Sogen had trained under Mr. Rudriger for several weeks, and the stances and techniques he taught were basic but superior to those of Sogen's clan.
When Mr. Rudriger saw Sogen sitting there, he came out of the shop.
"Boy, you are so stubborn. Fine, I can teach you, but remember, I have no resources to offer you. Now, come inside," he said.
A smile spread across Sogen's face upon hearing this, and he nodded as he followed Mr. Rudriger into the shop.