What everyone has said thus far is correct in most respects. However, let me make this clear. Upon consumption or absorption, however you wish to phrase it, the souls are not completely destroyed. It is possible for me to extract any collected souls from a weapon for whatever necessary reason. An example would be consuming the wrong soul or not consuming a witch's soul after the ninety-ninth. Another would be consuming a soul not meant for you or as punishment for performing a mission incorrectly.
While you do absorb the souls into your body and gain some additional power, a more apt image would be that you are collecting and storing them until you are ready for the witch's soul. It is that soul which will unlock and increase your abilities.
As for an alternative, if you do not wish to consume the souls, the only one you have is to turn them over to me where I will collect and store them for other weapons.
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What everyone has said thus far is correct in most respects. However, let me make this clear. Upon consumption or absorption, however you wish to phrase it, the souls are not completely destroyed. It is possible for me to extract any collected souls from a weapon for whatever necessary reason. An example would be consuming the wrong soul or not consuming a witch's soul after the ninety-ninth. Another would be consuming a soul not meant for you or as punishment for performing a mission incorrectly.
While you do absorb the souls into your body and gain some additional power, a more apt image would be that you are collecting and storing them until you are ready for the witch's soul. It is that soul which will unlock and increase your abilities.
As for an alternative, if you do not wish to consume the souls, the only one you have is to turn them over to me where I will collect and store them for other weapons.