A Path To Omniscience

By the time the Frostvale family's limousine pulled up to their home, it was already a little past midnight. Though, in a city like Atlas, the time of day hardly mattered. Stepping out first, Asher watched as his father offered his hand to his mother, causing them both to smile lovingly at one another. Even after all these years, their love was as strong as when they first met.

Such relationships were fairly rare in Atlas, where most of the elite were merely married in an attempt to make strategic alliances and gain power or advance themselves in one way or another.

Waiting for the family at the bottom of the staircase leading up to Frostvale Manor was Lionel, the family butler.

With a bow and a smile, he greeted them, "Welcome home."

"Thank you, Lionel," Asher replied as they started making their way up the stairs. As they walked, Asher's father spoke to Lionel.

"Did anything happen while we were away?" His question made the butler sigh and nod, his expression slightly troubled.

"Hmm, what is it, Lionel?" Asher's mother asked. Lionel had been with their family for over a decade, and he rarely looked this concerned unless something serious had happened.

"While you were away, an emergency report came in from the company. One of the three cargo ships en route to the Kingdom of Vale was attacked." The news immediately darkened the atmosphere, and both of Asher's parents frowned.

"What about the ships we had guarding them along their routes? There's no way one of our cargo ships could be attacked without them noticing." Asher's mother asked.

If there was one thing Atlas was known for, it was its military might. Even if they were smaller than the Schnee Dust Company, Frostvale Enterprises still had its own contracted security forces. Your average bandits and pirates posed practically no threat to them or their trade routes, even if one included their operations across the sea and in other kingdoms. 

"Madam, the report was brief since it was an emergency, however, I believe the escort vessels were likely destroyed. The attackers were under the banner of... the White Fang." The moment Asher and his parents heard the name, their expressions grew even more serious. The White Fang had once been a peaceful activist organization fighting for Faunus' rights and against human discrimination.

However, over the years, they slowly began to change, becoming more extreme. Today, across the world, and especially in Atlas, they were considered a terrorist group.

"The White Fang... of course, they decide to act now while we're in the midst of expansion," Asher's father said, his voice tinged with annoyance. Their expansion into Vale was already challenging, and the White Fang's actions were just making things more difficult. The radical ideologies of the White Fang had been spreading rapidly among Faunus, especially in the Kingdom of Vale.

"How ridiculous. Frostvale Enterprises has never engaged in the unfair treatment of Faunus or the use of Faunus labor. I bet the only reason they even targeted us is because we're based in Atlas," Nillia added, frustration evident in her tone. Asher listened quietly to his parents' conversation, choosing not to voice his thoughts. 

Many businesses discriminated against Faunus, making it nearly impossible for the vast majority of them to find stable jobs. In fact, even those who did often struggled to survive and sustain themselves, eventually ending up in the crater, the slums of Mantle. However, among the long list of exploitive companies in Atlas, Frastvale Enterprises wasn't among them. 

In fact, his parents encouraged Faunus to work for them. Of course, this wasn't out of kindness; their personal feelings toward the Faunus were neutral. Instead, it was because many Faunus had untapped potential. With so many Faunus born into poverty without access to proper education, it was no surprise that, when given the chance, quite a few turned out to be exceptional and extremely hard workers.

As they walked into Frostvale Manor, Asher's mother sighed, taking off her coat and handing it to a waiting maid before turning to her husband.

"It looks like we'll be staying up late again tonight, I'll start making a few calls," she remarked. Hearing this, Asher's father nodded, letting out a sigh of his own.

"I'll arrange a meeting with the insurance representatives. Sorting out things with legal will have to wait until tomorrow," he responded.

"Do you two need any help?" Asher asked, to which his mother turned to him with a reassuring smile and shook her head.

"No, dear. Your father and I have it under control. Besides, you only woke up from your coma a few weeks ago; I still want you to take it easy." Asher nodded in understanding.

"I keep telling you I'm fine, but alright then. I'll be in the library if you need me." With that, the Frostvale family split up, with Asher heading towards the library. While the White Fang matter intrigued him, especially since it directly concerned Frostvale Enterprises—something he would inherit one day—he was more fixated on Mori's cryptic words at Schnee Manor.

If his parents really needed his opinion on something, they would just ask. 

"The Nexus Space assimilates and surpasses knowledge it comes in contact with... I'm not exactly sure what he meant by that, but if we're talking about information, then books should suffice, right?" It was his best guess. After a few more minutes of walking, Asher reached a large door at the end of a hallway.

Pushing it open, the door gave way to a room that housed his family's personal library. It only housed over a thousand books—nothing compared to the massive libraries in Atlas. However, practically every book that adorned the finely carved wooden shelves was either a book that his parents had picked out themselves and taught something valuable, whether it was based on fiction or fact.

Walking past marble statues of angels near the entrance, Asher crossed the smooth stone floor, designed with intricate patterns from various stones. The library spanned two levels, the second accessible by a spiral staircase that led to a mezzanine. But Asher wasn't there to browse; he hardly spent any time looking over the various books before quickly pulling out one he didn't remember reading before, thinking to himself as he did.

Does the type of information matter? Mori said it just needs to be substantial, and any form of knowledge would work. I guess I should stick with non-fiction, just to be safe.

Asher sat down at the long table in the center of the library, taking off his suit and draping it over the back of his chair. Atlas was bitterly cold, and the suit he wore was designed to double as a jacket, a clothing choice both his father and he shared, unlike his mother.

Moonlight streamed through the massive glass window where a wall would usually be, offering a serene view of Frostvale Manor's backyard at night.

The book Asher had picked up was a simple overview of Atlas's technological milestones throughout history. Opening to the first page, Asher intended to casually skim its contents. However, the moment his eyes fell upon the page, something inexplicable occurred. It was as if every word on the page began to detach itself and flow into his mind.

What? What is this... feeling?

It wasn't mere memorization; Asher felt a deep comprehension, as though he was absorbing the essence of each word on a fundamental level. The first page detailed one of Atlas's foundational advancements during its days as the Kingdom of Mantle: harnessing the elemental properties of Dust and integrating them into common weapons of the time, such as swords, spears, and rudimentary pistols.

To Asher, it was more than just knowledge; it was a vivid visualization. He could perceive the progression and techniques developed by the people of Mantle to create the first dust-based weaponry centuries ago, almost as if he had been there to witness it firsthand, yet it was also clearer than any memory.

"I see... so this is what Mori meant by assimilating knowledge," Asher muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the book in his hands. If just reading a single page could have such an effect, then what would happen if he read more?

He had to know.

Without hesitation, he dove deeper into the text, absorbing each page almost instantaneously. As he progressed, Asher continued to see the pivotal moments in Atlas's history, the technology that shaped it, and the possibilities it unlocked for future generations. 

Yet, as he approached the halfway mark, something even more peculiar began to happen. While his conscious mind remained focused on reading, another part of him seemed to awaken. It was operating independently of his will, and although it was happening all inside Asher's own mind, he was having a hard time getting a grasp on what was happening. 

It's almost as if the knowledge I've already accumulated in my mind is... growing? 

Thinking could be seen as the wellspring of human knowledge.

It was through contemplating their surroundings that humans began unraveling the mysteries of the world, and through introspection, concepts like philosophy and self took shape in people's minds. But, as great as thinking was, it caused just as many downfalls as it did ascensions, if not more so.

After all, not all thoughts proved correct.

Scientists, each with their own unique viewpoints and thought processes, arrived at varying conclusions on everything from the origins of the universe to the emergence of humanity. So, if Asher were to describe what was happening in his head, he would say it was as if the knowledge in his mind was growing, objectively.

Something was taking the accumulated information he had read from the book so far and expanding upon it. It created an influx of theories and hypotheses that seemed limitless; each one was cross-referenced and tested against others to determine its validity, repeated countless times over. Whatever emerged from this process was deemed objective truth by... something and seamlessly integrated into Asher's understanding.

Since the focus of the knowledge he was assimilating right now was Atlas's technological advancements and the pivotal milestones that helped it reach the state it was in today. The insights Asher gained almost felt almost predictive, revealing the next phases of Atlas's evolution before he even had a chance to read about them. 

"It's like a simulation, but instead of mimicking reality, it simulates the path of intellectual evolution," Asher muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the book before him.

"So this is also an effect of the Nexus Space? Is that why Mori said it was like a living entity? Because it doesn't just absorb knowledge but grows based on what it assimilates?"

How could such a thing exist? How was it even possible? Predicting the trajectory of intelligence seemed unfathomable, it was like trying to predict the future from infinite possibilities.

Even the most advanced computers in Atlas couldn't ever hope to do something like that. It would simply require too much processing power, if not infinite amounts of it. 

Yet this realm, linked directly to his mindscape, appeared to accomplish just that. Asher stared at the pages before him, feeling mentally that the Nexus Space had already foreseen Atlas's next technological leaps, refining its predictions and coming up with even more theories, even as he sat there doing nothing.

With a hesitant hand, Asher turned to the next page. As predicted by the Nexus Space, Atlas's next milestone in technological advancement was the harnessing of Dust as a power source, supplanting more rudimentary methods like waterwheels and steam engines.

Incredible...

That was the only word Asher could find to describe it. The Nexus Space was becoming increasingly accurate with its predictions of Atlas's historical milestones as time passed, requiring less trial and error for each objective truth it reached. Asher had a sense that even if he stopped reading the book in front of him right now, the process would only accelerate as the Nexus Space generated more precise information.

It's almost like I'm reading without reading.

Leaning back in his chair, Asher rocked gently back and forth while rhythmically tapping his finger against the book on the table in front of him. From what he had discovered so far, the ability granted by the Nexus Space was nothing short of miraculous. Although Asher, by no means, considered himself stupid, it's ability to assimilate and generate truths was on a completely different level. 

With this ability alone, I could probably become proficient in almost any field, given I have a starting point to assimilate. Years, or even decades, of studying could be condensed into just a few days, if not less.

It was a thought process that drew Asher's gaze toward the bookshelves around him. He could only imagine what would happen if he read every book in this library.

"But is that really enough?" Asher murmured to himself. It was a powerful ability, no doubt. With it, Asher knew he could rise to become an unparalleled genius. In fact, if he were still the boy he was four years ago, perhaps that's exactly what he would have done. Using the Nexus Space to become the perfect heir to the Frostvale Family and its business and raise it to new heights, all while basking in the praise of his parents and those around him. 

But things had changed, and that wasn't the case.

But that wasn't the case. He knew what was coming. It was something that would shake the foundation of everything; no kingdom would survive, and Remenant would be ravaged until not a single life remained. Even though he had woken from his coma weeks ago, the images he had seen were still fresh in his mind, causing Asher to clench his fists before taking a deep breath and relaxing. 

Being a genius won't let me confront that. But... Mori claimed this ability would let me change my fate. Although I don't really trust that 'thing' at all, I don't think it was lying, not about that at least. 

That was when Asher's thoughts flashed back to the void he had found himself in when Mori had appeared back at the Schnee Manor. 

I didn't really get a chance to look around that space for very long last time. It was an empty void last time, but maybe it will be different now?

It was worth checking out either way. Closing his eyes, Asher attempted to recapture that sensation from before—that nameless, gnawing feeling that originated from honing in on an unknown change he felt in himself. Then, like a switch had been flipped, Asher found himself back in that empty void.

No gravity, no temperature, nothing to touch or see—just emptiness in every direction, except for his own body, which was once again naked and strangely spectral. It was almost what one might imagine being a ghost is like.

Hmm, it's still too dark to see anything. If only there were some kind of light source or something. 

Almost instantly after Asher had that thought, the once-pure black space shifted. Starting as a droplet of white, and acting like ink dispersing in water, but in reverse, the previously dark void burst with light in an instant. If Asher had actual eyes, he would have definitely been blinded by the sudden change.

The Nexus Space... it reacted to my thoughts? Actually, now that I think back, Mori did say this place was a realm connected to my mindscape. I thought the connection was just one way, but if the Nexus Space can affect my mind, then I guess it makes sense that my mind can also affect this place. 

With that realization, Asher immediately attempted to create a floor with his next thought. So far, he had been floating aimlessly without a point of reference; even with the newfound light, he needed some kind of ground to anchor himself. But, unlike before, however, nothing happened. The Nexus Space didn't respond to Asher's thoughts at all.

Hmm, it didn't work that time. Alright, then what about-

Just as Asher was about to try something else, something caught his eye at the edge of his vision. Turning to look, he immediately recognized what it was.

That... that's the book I was reading.

Floating in the now-illuminated void, the book slowly drifted away from Asher.

It came into the Nexus Space with me? I guess I didn't notice it before because there was no light. But does this mean I can bring physical objects here? If so, why didn't my clothes come with me? Maybe because I don't really have a body?

As he pondered this, Asher reached out to grab the book, but it was just out of his reach.

But, yet again, the Nexus Space seemed to react to his will. The book, which had been randomly floating off, suddenly stopped as Asher reached out for it, and as if being guided by an invisible thread, it suddenly flew towards Asher, plopping itself right into his grasp. 

He could touch it, and he could feel it. His senses were still intact.

Huh? Well, isn't that interesting?