A Path To Omniscience

It had been about three weeks since Asher woke from his coma and four days since he and his parents visited Schnee Manor. That also meant it had been four days since he discovered exactly what the Nexus Space was capable of. His parents had been occupied with managing the fallout caused by the White Fang, from reimbursing the affected crews and their families to collaborating with Atlas Military to recover the stolen cargo.

During those days, Asher rarely left Frostvale Manor, spending most of his time shuttling between his room and the library. Although the manor staff were curious about the sudden intensity of the Young Master's reading habits, they kept their inquiries to themselves. 

Early in the morning, Asher could often be found seated at the long library table. Unlike a few days ago, when the library seemed undisturbed, it was now cluttered with stacks of books and papers spread out around him. It appeared as though half the library's books had been pulled from their shelves. But, despite the array of open books, Asher sat with closed eyes, motionless, in his chair.

At this moment, his consciousness was far from the library—it was immersed in the realm known as the Nexus Space.

Just like before, the illuminated void seemed infinitely vast; however, it wasn't entirely empty anymore. A small metal platform formed a ground. Standing on it, Asher could be seen, his ghostly form pacing with hands clasped behind his back, engaged in what seemed like a solitary conversation. Upon closer inspection, however, one could see that he wasn't talking to himself but instead, a flat, almost two-dimensional screen that hovered beside him as he moved.

"Log-011, current date: May 19th, 2033. It has been three days since I began experimenting with the Nexus Space. I've successfully fashioned a rudimentary testing grounds using a few metal tables sourced from the manor's storage room as flooring. The telekinetic abilities I wield within this space appear unrestricted, allowing effortless manipulation and anchoring of objects. Notably, there seems to be no time limit on these anchors." Every word Asher spoke was transcribed onto the floating screen beside him, formatted akin to a journal.

"I believe I've accurately mapped the Nexus Space's capabilities and its limits when it comes to interacting with the physical world. Notably, I can physically bring things into this space, provided I can grab and move them myself, and I comprehend them to some extent. Liquids present a current unknown—I've yet to test their feasibility outside of cups. Being a fourteen-year-old boy poses limitations, but these can be circumvented with auxiliary tools such as dollies or hand trucks," Asher remarked, glancing at the tools in the corner of his makeshift platform.

The space he had made for himself was fairly minimalist, lacking walls or a roof—partly due to him not having the resources for them and partly due to them not being necessary. Nexus Space didn't have any form of weather, which meant any walls and roofs were either purely aesthetic or to prevent him from walking off into the void. In any case, aside from the anchored tables and a few chairs he brought in with him, the platform remained bare.

"Unlike bringing items into the Nexus Space, there don't seem to be any issues with taking things out, no matter their quantity or mass. However, attempting to extract too much at once in a confined area could pose a risk. In addition to the telekinetic and storage abilities I've gained from the Nexus Space, it appears I also possess some level of control over its natural laws, although that control is limited," Asher explained while glancing towards the strange blue, two-dimensional screen floating at his side.

The screen had been something he had accidentally created while attempting to document his discoveries about the Nexus Space. He had hoped that if the Nexus Space could expand on the knowledge about things it assimilated, then perhaps it could also shed light on its own nature if it assimilated knowledge about itself.

Unfortunately, that idea hadn't yielded results. The Nexus Space seemed indifferent to inquiries about its own existence. Nevertheless, Asher continued to document his findings. Even if no one else ever saw them, it served as a method of organizing his thoughts.

Additionally, it revealed that he had the ability to generate projections in the Nexus Space, such as the screen before him. He had complete control over their appearance and form, capable of making them resemble people or objects. However, no matter how much he exerted his control over the Nexus Space, he couldn't create physical matter.

Another example of the control he had over the Nexus Space was when he added gravity to it. It had just been a simple thought, and gravity appeared. However, changing the strength of this gravitational force remained beyond his control. So, in essence, the Nexus Space was a place Asher could manipulate, but he was in no way the master of it; it seemed to impose boundaries and limitations of what he could change that he couldn't get around.

"Still, the positive aspects of the Nexus Space far outweigh its restrictions, especially when considering its ultimate ability," Asher remarked, as a secondary screen materialized directly in front of him. Unlike the one logging his words, this screen already displayed extensive text. While some excerpts clearly mirrored passages from the book he had read days ago, much of it was newly generated by the Nexus Space, offering extremely detailed insights into Atlas's technological milestones.

However, what had intrigued him most lay at the screen's bottom. With a simple hand gesture, Asher expanded the holographic display from computer screen size to wide-screen TV size, then casually flicked his hand to scroll through the text to its conclusion. The Nexus Space had accurately predicted and calculated Atlas's technological evolution up to the modern era, exactly where the book he had been reading ended.

As such, it was also where he assumed the Nexus Space would stop. However, this assumption was wrong.

"The Nexus Space assimilates and surpasses knowledge it comes in contact with," Asher echoed Mori's words from their time at the Schnee Manor. What did "surpass" mean exactly? To exceed? To go beyond? If so, what did it imply for the Nexus Space, which had already anticipated all of Atlas's achievements up to now before even learning about them, to take another step forward?

"The answer was simple, once I thought about it for a moment. It meant predicting Atlas's next breakthrough before it even happens." Indeed, the data on Asher's screen detailed Atlas's technological advancements from the past to the present. But what lay at the end?

The answer was clear: it contained information on future technological leaps and discoveries yet to be made.

If one were to use an analogy, then all the knowledge in the world were like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to the Nexus Space. The Nexus Space only needs a few of those pieces to start filling in the rest on its own, until, finally, it completes the puzzle and uncovers the image it creates without even needing all the other pieces.

What's more, the finished picture that the Nexus Space had created would be even more precise than the original.

But it doesn't stop there. Once the puzzle was finished, the Nexus Space would begin to create new pieces and expand the puzzle beyond its original scope, all with perfect accuracy. It was like knowing what an entire room looked like, after only looking at a corner of it. 

It's an ability that could exceed a hundred percent, perfecting what is already considered complete.

In the present, Asher had absorbed most of the knowledge from his family's personal library. About a quarter of it had surpassed a hundred percent assimilation, while the remainder lingered around ninety to ninety-nine percent, slowly approaching completion with Asher having to read or do anything. 

"Now that I understand how the Nexus Space works, at least to some extent, I need to find a way to integrate it into my plans," Asher mused aloud.

"End log." The screen, which had been transcribing his thoughts, gradually dimmed, and with a blink of an eye, he found himself back in the library, staring up at the ceiling.

How does one save the world?

It was a question that had crossed his mind several times during his coma. But, back then, he never thought he would wake up, so the line of thought never went anywhere. But when he finally awoke and realized he was back home in a world that had yet to be destroyed, the question resurfaced.

How exactly does one go about saving a world that seemed destined to fall?

Obviously, directly warning people is pointless. Even if I used my family's influence, at most I would be written off as the heir of the Frostvale Family who had become delusional after waking up from a coma. Not only that, but I don't even know when the cataclysm is going to arrive. It could be as soon as this year or more than twenty years from now. 

In the end, though, it didn't change what Asher had to do. Whether his goal was to warn people of the future or silently prepare the world for a danger they didn't even know they were going to face, he wouldn't be able to accomplish either unless he became someone influential. 

Legally, I won't be able to take over Frostvale Enterprises until I turn eighteen. Even then, both mother and father are in great health and perfectly capable of running the company. Realistically, they'll likely wait until I'm in my late twenties or early thirties before handing the reigns over to me.

He couldn't afford to wait that long doing nothing. Especially considering that even if he really became CEO one day, that didn't mean he would have enough sway to make any real changes.

No, I need a clearer path. Even if the world stage is too vast right now, I need a solid foothold in Atlas at the very least.

In the end, there was only one thing that came to mind—or rather, one place: Atlas Academy.

Each of the four kingdoms of Remnant had its own Huntsman Academy, dedicated to training Huntsmen and Huntresses, warriors who defended humanity against the monsters known as Grimm and helped maintain peace.

However, unlike the other academies, Atlas Academy stood as a unique institution, having integrated both the government and military into itself. This was one of the many reasons why Atlas was known to have the greatest military presence in the world. 

Still, despite the fact that the city of Atlas was built around Atlas Academy and the amount of power it held, Asher had no intention of joining Atlas Academy himself, nor enlisting in the military, or even delving straight into politics. 

With the Nexus Space, I'm sure I could easily pursue any one of these paths. But that would just end up confining my future to just one avenue instead of giving me a chance to branch into all three. No... the best approach to take is to let Atlas Academy discover my potential on their own.

As for his strategy?

It was straightforward: he would follow in the footsteps of how all the geniuses of history caught the government's eye—by 'accidentally' showcasing his abilities to the world.

=====================================•=====================================

"No, reword that statement; if we publish it as is, the public might perceive it as us blaming the crews for not stopping the attack. We can't afford that, but we also can't shift the blame onto ourselves. Make sure it squarely places fault on the White Fang, labeling them as extremists, and minimize any direct mention of Faunus. We can't risk alienating our own Faunus workers," Nillia Frostvale said, her head leaning against her hands as she spoke to the person on the other side of the holographic screen being projected from her desk.

Her usually bright, honeyed eyes seemed slightly dim as she ended the call, the screen powering off in front of her. With a deep sigh, she leaned back in her chair, brushing her dark hair from her face, before muttering, "What a mess...". 

She was sitting in her home office, which she shared with her husband, Vance. Unlike the rest of Frostvale Manor's lavish rooms, the office was intentionally simple, with smooth, segmented stone floors and minimal furniture—just a bookshelf doubling as a filing cabinet against the wall and a small seating area for guests near the entrance.

The design aimed to minimize distractions, allowing the couple to focus on their work.

Yet, in moments like this where they had been working practically non-stop to put out fires and one of them where alone, the room felt almost chilly, despite the room temperature being maintained. But the cold atmosphere and silence were broken when Nillia heard a knock at the door. 

"Who is it?" she asked, straightening her posture and clasping her hands together over her desk. Very few of the manor's staff disturbed her or her husband in their office, so whoever was knocking must have either important news or yet another problem she needed to deal with today.

The thought of either option made her think about sending away whoever stood outside her office door, but her expression softened when she heard the voice on the other side.

"Mother, it's me. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Asher? I wonder what he wants; he hardly ever visits either of us while we're working. Come to think of it, when was the last time we properly talked? Ever since we returned from the Schnee Manor and had to deal with this White Fang issue, we've only managed to see each other briefly at dinner.

It saddened her to think about it, but such was life when managing a company as big as theirs. Yet she couldn't deny feeling a twinge of happiness that Asher had come to speak with her on his own. They had been close before his coma, but since waking up, he had been spending more time with his father and only exchanged pleasantries with her.

"Come in." Asher heard his mother's voice and pushed open the doors with a smile as he entered the office.

"Is everything okay?" Asher asked, walking over to his mother's desk. She let out a slight groan in response.

"About as well as can be expected, considering what happened," she replied.

"But let's set that aside. I've been dealing with that mess all day. Let's talk about you. What brings my darling son to visit today?" Hearing his mother say that, Asher's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked, to which his mother nodded with a soft grin.

"Of course. I could tell from the look in your eyes. It's just like those older businessmen who used to come to me with gifts when they wanted something. I have to admit, I'm a bit sad you didn't just come here to see me, but oh well. What's on your mind?" Having been seen through already, Asher decided not to prolong the conversation.

"Well, I was hoping to get your permission to convert the attic for a project I've taken an interest in."