system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Dark Souls] How do I trade souls in a transaction? What process takes place?
gpt
You can take souls non-violently in the same way you can take them normally. The difference is the person you are taking them from has to agree to give them up. In Pyromancy, for example, your flame is an extension of your soul and its fully possible to split it up and give it to others.

A person only has 1 soul. What you are measuring is the STRENGTH of your soul, which is empowered by taking the souls of others. When you complete a soul transaction you are letting them siphon some of your strength. Since Souls are malleable in the Dark Souls world (as evidenced by your ability to literally pick them up off the ground) and can thus be manipulated and handled like anything else it's fully possible the process involves literally pinching off a piece of your soul and handing it over.