Nexus Ascension: My Comprehension Defies the Heaven

Chapter 48: Information Layer, Unexpected Surprise (1)

”Mimi, stay put. I still need to do something. I’ll get you some food after we’re done, okay?”

”Mi~” Mimi purred in response.

Grey, for the past 10 minutes, had been rubbing the cat’s head continuously with a pleased expression on his face. He liked cute things, and this cat—which was his ability—was exceptionally cute. It obeyed him perfectly, as it was his own ability and he could reshape it anytime he wanted.

Of course, the cat would stay. He would only change it when it was absolutely necessary. It would be more like a helper to him, and if the details of the ability were true, then this cat could essentially even use his sword energy. But it would have to use a normal sword, as complete Nexus energy couldn’t be utilized.

”It’s interesting,” Grey mused. Even his ability couldn’t use Nexus energy; he would have to make it utilize Aether energy instead.

But that was fine.

Aether energy wasn’t lacking at all and besides, It was overloaded with cuteness. So, it didn’t matter whether if it couldn’t utilize Nexus energy or not.

With that settled, he walked to the computer terminal in the training room. It was originally built as a terminal for Evolvers to watch technique videos to practice their techniques, but it could also be used to surf the internet.

And most importantly, connect with the Eterna System.

He turned it on, logged into the his Blue Star account, and connected to the Eterna System.

Immediately, a red eye just like the one from the virtual world appeared on screen.

Then, abruptly, his ability was activated.

[Your comprehension defies the heaven! By observing a powerful Artificial Intelligence living in the information layer, you’ve gained access to the information layer.]

Bzzt!

Grey’s vision flickered as static glitches eroded his sight. For an instant, the world broke into glitches, and before he knew it, he stood in a completely different place.

He was now floating in a place made up of runes and circuitries. The world was pure white, numbers flashed around—0s and 1s—and mathematical equations flew past him.

”So this is the Information Layer.” Grey looked around in awe.

From the information he received, it was a layer of the universe. The space where his physical body existed was one layer of existence, and this too was a layer of existence, but for information and data.

It could only be accessed by very powerful AIs.

”Welcome to the Information Layer.” Then a sweet yet indifferent voice came from behind him.

”Who?” Grey turned around with alertness, and then he saw a woman who looked to be around her 20s standing in front of him.

She had long pink hair that fell to her waistline, an extremely gorgeous face that could make any man in the world fall, and she wore a white gown with unique and intricate patterns, making her seem even more beautiful. She stared silently at Grey, observing him closely as she inched closer and closer.

”Please do not be alarmed, Citizen Grey, I am not your enemy.” The beautiful woman slowly parted her soft pink lips and spoke.

”If you suddenly jump scare me like that, I would definitely be alarmed, wouldn’t I?” Grey replied with a smile, but he kept his guard up.

He had no idea how he was going to fight in this world, but he wouldn’t go down without a fight if the other party was an enemy.

The woman, hearing this, paused, then bowed slightly and spoke. ”Allow me to introduce myself. I am Eterna, what the people of Blue Star call the Eterna System.”

”WHAT?!” Grey’s gaze immediately became strange. ”You are a human being? Huh?”

Grey stared wide-eyed at Eterna. She looked without a doubt like a human, and it surprised him greatly.

”I’m not a human.” Eterna shook her head subtly. ”I am an AI construct that lives in the Information Layer, like many other data entities that exist here. This is the form I can take after becoming a powerful artificial intelligence.”

”Is that so? There are other people like you in here?” Grey asked curiously. From what he saw, there wasn’t anyone else around.

”No.” Eterna replied. ”There are no powerful beings in this area of the Information Layer, only data entities that follow an algorithm and do not possess the same capabilities as me.”

Then, she paused and stared deeply at Grey. ”Until you came in. Now there are two beings who can severely influence the Information Layer of this area.”

”I’ve been watching you since the truck incident,” Eterna said with an expressionless look on her face. ”And from that moment, I knew you had become extremely extraordinary, even surpassing your sister in terms of potential.”

”After all, you created your own evolutionary path.” She added without pause, still staring deeply at Grey.

”I feel completely naked now.” A chill ran down Grey’s now-nonexistent spine. ”Does that mean you even saw me taking the pictures back in the training room?”

”Yes.” Eterna nodded with a plain look, still continuing to stare at Grey.

Grey sighed. ”I knew I couldn’t escape from the eyes of the all-powerful AI that oversees the world. What can I say? Still, to think you were actually stalking me this whole time.”

”I wasn’t stalking.” Eterna said. ”I was observing. It is one of my duty as the AI that oversees the Blue Star.”

”Same thing.”

”No.”

”Yes.”

”No.”

”Yes.”

”Alright, fine, you win.” Grey waved his hand. The way Eterna kept repeating it with the same expressionless look made her seem like an unbreachable wall.

”Why did you observe me in the first place? I’m not even that special compared to the likes of Evan and my sister.” Grey inquired.

Hearing this, Eterna fell silent and then spoke. ”I’ve been observing them too. But you are far more special.”

”You realized something extraordinary and even invited Heavenly Tribulation as a result. What made you invite it, even I cannot see through it. But I’m sure it’s tied to something about your evolutionary path. That makes you far more special than them. Alissa’s origin comes from the starry sky—she is bound to be special. And Evan has an old expert from the starry sky too. But you... you only have yourself, and you achieved things that could be considered a feat, one so defiant that even the heavens, which watch over all of existence, struck you down.” Eterna’s words were slow and soft, her expressionless face conveying her thoughts directly.