"The fact that there are hunters on this plane also must mean that I am not too far removed from my culture. However, the matter of how much time has passed since my death to my reincarnation is something I'll have trouble figuring out," Bas murmured to himself. "Soul power level six. Hunt Foundation, the last step of the first rank at age six, this body's potential is not bad by any world's standards. However, how many years ago was that now? This guy made no progress for over half our life and went from child prodigy to clown.
"Of course, if it weren't for the awakening of my dormant soul, I'm sure Sebastian would have ascended to glory on his own. Instead, my awakening seems to have made him progressively stupid. Alas...when his hunter soul awakened, I did as well. It was a duel space, and I didn't know what I was fighting or why. Sebastian's soul was heavily damaged and exhausted; such a thing could no longer sustain itself. One of us had to reign, and the mortal truth ultimately chose me," In Bas' mind, that remnant soul was definitely assimilated into the everflame. Just the fact that the mortal truth had allowed his soul to awaken meant that this life was meant for him. "Since the everflame and I were originally one being, it is my sin to bear. I have replaced the fallen King, but our glory shall never die."
Bas realized by now that as Sebastian refined his soul power, it was constantly being absorbed with the awakening of Bas' dormant flame. Due to this, Sebastian's hunter soul couldn't display more than a tenth of its capability.
This world focused on hunter souls too heavily, and they treated them like they weren't replaceable. Arti were the only means outside of a hunter soul, but Sebastian was, unfortunately, being turned into an idiot who couldn't possibly comprehend mortal arts. This was likely the source of Sebastian becoming a so-called "trash" hunter and his hunter soul not producing hunt ryms above level six.
Such was the nature of the everflame; it could consume all things to revitalize itself, turning that vitality into relentlessly raging aetherial power. The everflame was eternal and everlasting; it would never allow itself to die out. It was the true manifestation of the Truth of Aetherius, a chain of chaotic principles and law.
"No matter. Since I inherited this life you left behind, I will take responsibility for both of our dreams. In my last life, I grew up as an orphan. My father was killed when I was young, and my mother died soon after. My pursuit of power and thirst for revenge kept me from the pleasures of said life. It was to the point where I was fooled by a demoness disguised as a goddess due to my inexperience.
"Is this life? I wish to learn more about this emotion known as love, this passion for others that I have not explored. I used to fabricate thrilling tales of love and romance...this time, I will live them for real. In the meantime, I'll complete that poor soul Sebastian's dream of becoming a Rym Producer and First Class Hunter. After all, these are things I've done before, anyway. First I must decide on a suitable arte. The fool's origin pressure already exceeds level 13, yet he doesn't have an origin record and couldn't even push his origin level up by using his hunter soul. So, I can only use sixth-level soul power. That's not even enough to summon hunt rym forces! This is simply trash among trash!"
Bas lowered his head, thinking the ones who called Sebastian trash were so accurate. Of course, this was Bas' fault to begin with.
"No matter. I've been scouring these memories for weeks in preparation for tonight."
Bas had done all the research on this body that he possibly could.
"The arti of this world's Hunter's Society are separated by class starting from wood, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, all the way to diamond class. As an aspiring Rym Producer, I should invest myself in not only Drug and Tool Production but also Arte and Record Production. Perhaps I should forego drug production altogether since they have the so-called Mechas and Rym Kings in this era. Tool Production may take too much time compared to my previous era.
"Based on my conjectures, hunter souls should be highly advanced soul records that reached levels so high the lineage altered. I should choose a wood-class arte with great potential, transforming it into a wood-class soul record. Then, I can formulate it into a platinum-class soul record over time, even producing various arti along the way. It would be like granting myself an extra hunter soul with every platinum record. Rym Records fused with the soul can be inherited with one's bloodline, and such a fusion could only happen at the platinum or diamond levels. This is the true method of becoming a top-tier Record Producer."
Bas King had a wealth of past experiences after recovering the fully intact memories of his previous incarnation. Originally, Sebastian King's talent should have been astronomical. However, because of the awkward way in which Bas entered the Portal of Osiris in the afterlife, something strange occurred, and his soul flame was not wiped clean by the guardians of the gate. He still retained his prior knowledge! However, it was due to this that Sebastian was sacrificed as food for the flame that was Bas King's dormant memories.
"Wait, flame? That's it! Hunter Soul! I can use my lineage to awaken a hunter soul. I am ultimately not Sebastian; I am a scion of the sun! So, I will surely have my hunter soul as well, bwahaha, even better it was born from the everflame," Bas laughed like a maniac in his room, startling the Eureka King, who was still cooking dinner despite her son's earlier opinion. Bas continued in his room, delighted, "Since it's my hunter soul, it should remain compatible with my everflame after awakening."
Well, at least one could dream, right?
Hearing her eldest son's insane laughter, Eureka thought she should cut his hair. 'Ever since that hair grew out, he's been wilder.'
Meanwhile, Bas was ecstatic. "I have always looked down on those silk-pants young masters born with lineage factors that were the fruit of their ancestor's labor. However, who could have imagined that I would become my ancestor one day, my natal flame reincarnating with my soul? Is this not lineage? What arte do I need if I still have the Skylord Everflame as a hunter soul?"
The Skylord Everflame!
When Bas King achieved the Pharaoh God's rank, he started to inherit the diamond class divinity, the Skylord Everflame! Though the flame had chosen him at birth, Bas had to ascend to godhood to taste its true power. The skills one perfected as a pharaoh god would carry down to their descendants through soul resonance as long as they had met with Osiris in the afterlife.
Bas, of course, had not.
As a former pharaoh god, Bas didn't need resonance. He had his soul, which had already merged with his diamond class divinity practiced to the apex.
"I only need to reach level 10 soul power and will immediately be able to sense my hunter soul," Bas was suddenly optimistic about the future. "Unfortunately, I've been stuck at the last step of the Hunt Foundation rank for three years now. My soul power is only level six. Without tenth-level soul power, it's impossible to sense the hunter's soul, let alone fully awaken it. How did Sebastian awaken his? Moreover, my everflame seems to have started to awaken on its own. I believe I'll start to advance normally soon. Tsk, let's use my father's arte until my soul reaches level 10, and then I can condense a natal flame seed."