At first, Minh Truong believed it was only curiosity.
The System interface floated quietly in the corner of his vision, numbers and logs updating in real time as the Honkai: Star Rail world unfolded. Characters moved according to scripted destiny, events triggered as expected, and every timeline aligned with what he already knew.
Until it didn't.
Kafka paused mid-step.
It was subtle—so subtle that anyone inside the world would dismiss it as hesitation. But Minh Truong noticed immediately. The time-stamp in the System log stuttered for 0.3 seconds before correcting itself.
[Warning: Minor Causality Drift Detected]
Minh Truong frowned.
He hadn't interacted.
He hadn't spoken.
He hadn't altered any command.
He was only watching.
And yet… the world reacted.
Kafka turned her head slightly, crimson eyes narrowing—not toward the camera, not toward any character, but toward empty space.
Toward him.
Minh Truong's heartbeat quickened.
"This isn't supposed to happen," he muttered.
According to all narrative logic, observers remained external. The viewer could not be perceived. That rule applied to games, simulations, and even meta-construct worlds.
Unless the boundary itself was weakening.
Another notification appeared.
[Synchronization Rate: 12% → 14%]
[Observer Influence Threshold Approaching]
"Observer… influence?"
Minh Truong scrolled through hidden system layers—sections he never remembered unlocking.
Or maybe… they unlocked themselves.
A new panel emerged.
Observer Status:
Identity: Unregistered
Role: External Variable
Current State: Passive
Risk Level: Escalating
His throat went dry.
This wasn't a stream anymore.
This wasn't even a game.
It was a system actively tracking him.
Inside the Astral Express, March 7th suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence.
"…Hey, Trailblazer," she said slowly, eyes darting around. "Do you feel like… someone's staring?"
The temperature inside the cabin dropped by a fraction.
Danheng frowned. "No hostile presence detected."
"But it feels weird," March insisted. "Like we're being… measured."
Minh Truong leaned back, cold sweat forming along his spine.
He hadn't spoken.
But his attention had.
The System chimed again—this time without warning.
[New Condition Triggered: Observer Feedback Loop]
Description: Continuous observation has begun to affect narrative probability.
Outcome: Characters may develop awareness anomalies.
Awareness.
That single word made his chest tighten.
If characters became aware…
Then this world would no longer be fiction.
And he would no longer be safe.
Kafka smiled faintly, fingers brushing against her weapon.
"Interesting," she whispered to no one in particular.
"Very interesting."
Minh Truong shut the interface—too late.
The last message burned into his vision before fading.
[Next Phase Unlocked]
The Observer can no longer remain unseen.