Chapter 230: The Anchor Point Theory
Welt quickly pulled his attention from the chat group's interface, turning his focus back to the man standing vigilantly beside him. In the oppressive darkness, the Harmonious puppet that was Sunday emitted a soft, yet unyielding, glow.
"Mr. Sunday, you can relax for a moment," Welt said, his voice a low reassurance. "The immediate threat level doesn't seem particularly high."
He waited until Sunday's rigid posture had eased fractionally before posing his question, his tone turning serious. "How much time has passed, precisely, from the moment I ended my video call with Himeko until now?"
Though Sunday was clearly puzzled by such a specific inquiry, he answered based on his own perception. "Approximately five to six seconds, Mr. Welt. Have you discovered something unusual?"
Five to six seconds?! The number struck Welt like a physical blow.
In that minuscule sliver of time, he had already exchanged a significant amount of information with Stelle and Dan Heng in the chat group. They had engaged in a deep, complex discussion about the very nature of time and consciousness. Subjectively, it felt as though at least half a system hour had passed.
He began to briefly explain the bizarre temporal discrepancy to Sunday, but at the same time, he tried to divert a sliver of his attention back to the new messages popping up in the chat.
The moment he attempted to multitask, a powerful wave of cognitive dissonance slammed into him. The chat group interface, which he had been viewing clearly just moments before, warped into a chaotic waterfall of raw code. Text scrolled and refreshed with frantic, impossible speed, blurring into an unrecognizable stream of light and shadow. He couldn't decipher a single complete message.
The sensation was akin to watching a feed that had been accelerated a thousandfold, completely out of sync with the 'normal' flow of time he was currently experiencing. The intense feeling of dissociation was so jarring it made him physically dizzy, the world tilting slightly around him.
He immediately stopped his explanation, holding up a hand to Sunday in a silent, apologetic request to wait. Then, he closed his eyes for a second and refocused his entire mind, his full consciousness, on the chat group interface alone.
Strangely, the instant he ceased his attempt to divide his focus, the frantic information waterfall vanished. The communication speed snapped back to 'normal.' Every message was once again clear, distinct, and perfectly legible. He could read and reply at his own leisure.
Welt took a deep, steadying breath, working to suppress the shock that still rippled through him. He immediately relayed this crucial discovery to the others.
[Honkai: Star Rail - Welt]: "Verification complete. When I attempt to communicate with Sunday while simultaneously paying attention to the chat group, I observe the information flow within the group refreshing at an extreme velocity, making it impossible to read."
[Honkai: Star Rail - Welt]: "Only when I focus my entire attention on the chat group can communication proceed normally. This indicates that the perception of time, or perhaps the information synchronization mechanism within the group itself, is highly correlated with the user's state of attention."
This discovery plunged everyone into a deeper, more contemplative silence. Even Venti and Hu Tao, who had been gleefully browsing the myriad of novel items in the system's mall, were captivated by a phenomenon that so thoroughly defied common sense. For a moment, their curiosity about treasures from other worlds was completely forgotten.
As the members mulled over Welt's findings, Dan Heng stepped forward. He was typically a man of few words, but his observational skills were exceptionally keen, and he approached problems with a depth and deliberate certainty that commanded attention.
[Honkai: Star Rail - Dan Heng]: "I have a hypothesis, based on long-term observation. Perhaps the core operation of the chat group revolves around the three administrators—Stelle, Lumine, and Belle. We can consider them the chat group's 'anchors' in their respective worlds."
[Honkai: Star Rail - Dan Heng]: "Reviewing all of the chat group's functions, a pattern emerges. The initial cross-world connection was established based on the three of them. Subsequent World Commissions have, without exception, been closely related to crises or needs in their respective worlds. Even the World Events were often triggered when they were at the center of a major incident. This very exploration of Amphoreus is centered on Stelle, March, and myself."
Dan Heng's conclusion began to crystallize, his logic laid bare for all to see.
[Honkai: Star Rail - Dan Heng]: "Therefore, I hypothesize that in the chat group's current, early stages, its functions—including this seemingly counter-intuitive information synchronization—are adapted with the administrators' status as the primary consideration."
[Honkai: Star Rail - Dan Heng]: "Right now, in the world of 'Amphoreus,' Stelle is our core anchor. To ensure she can maintain effective communication with the outside world—with us—the chat group is likely forcing the information channel between us to synchronize with the time flow she personally perceives."
[Honkai: Star Rail - Dan Heng]: "The phenomenon Mr. Welt just encountered can be understood this way: when he is distracted by real-world matters, his perception is closer to the normal time flow of the outside world. He is unable to match Stelle's 'accelerated channel,' which results in an information overload that prevents him from reading anything."
[Honkai: Star Rail - Dan Heng]: "When he focuses his full attention, the chat group's synchronization mechanism takes effect, 'pulling' his perception into Stelle's channel, thereby enabling normal conversation."
Dan Heng's analysis was clear, logically rigorous, and provided a highly convincing framework for the perplexing situation. He had elevated the chat group from a mere passive tool to an active entity with its own internal rules, priorities, and a coordination system centered entirely around its administrators.
Yet, even as Dan Heng typed out his hypothesis, a faint sense of weary resignation settled in his heart. He knew Stelle far too well; he could predict with near-perfect accuracy how a certain someone would react upon learning this conclusion.
Sure enough...
After carefully reading Dan Heng's lengthy analysis, Stelle's brain precisely latched onto the most crucial keywords—"core anchor," "revolves around administrators," and "Stelle is the center!!!"
Her eyes, already wide, snapped open into perfect, shimmering circles. Her mouth formed a comical 'O' of astonishment. A split second later, she shot up from the ground where she'd been sitting, waving her arms and legs with uncoordinated glee. A brilliant, almost foolishly happy smile bloomed across her face, the very picture of a raccoon that had just stumbled upon a mountain of treasure and was so overjoyed it was about to faint.
Her fingers trembled as she typed into the chat group at lightning speed, every character radiating uncontainable ecstasy and triumph.
[Honkai: Star Rail - Stelle]: "Hahahahahahaha! I knew it! I, Stelle, the Stelle, Trailblazer of the Astral Express, am destined to be the shining protagonist! Dan Heng! You finally admit my importance!"
[Honkai: Star Rail - Stelle]: "So the chat group revolves around me! That's awesome! Don't worry, everyone! From now on, I will always remember my glorious mission as an 'anchor'! I'll think more about how to get more benefits for everyone in the group! Trigger more fun activities! Lots of points to be had! Hahahahaha!"
Her gleeful, smug demeanor was so potent it practically radiated through the screen, causing those who knew her best to let out a collective, fond sigh and a wry smile.
Meanwhile, Lumine, who had already arrived at her designated location and was awaiting her captain, finished reading Dan Heng's anchor theory. After the initial shock subsided, she slowly began to process the information.
Lumine glanced at the chat group interface, her expression thoughtful. "So..." she murmured to herself, "are we three administrators really that crucial to the chat group?" An invisible weight of responsibility seemed to settle onto her shoulders.
In another world, Belle covered her mouth in surprise, her wide eyes turning to her brother. "Bro... Brother? Am I... am I also an 'anchor'? Such an important position... Can I really handle it?"
Her voice was laced with a thread of apprehension and uncertainty. Wise gently patted her shoulder, his gaze steady and reassuring, offering silent support and encouragement.
Dan Heng's 'Anchor Theory' had provided a completely new perspective, explaining the communication paradox in Amphoreus while also forcing the three administrators to recognize, for the first time, their special status within the cross-dimensional miracle that was the chat group.
Stelle's exuberant excitement, Lumine's calm contemplation, and Belle's anxious uncertainty all hinted that their future paths had just been subtly, but irrevocably, altered by this newfound understanding.
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