Li Qingsong employed various methods to probe the Demon Eye Star System, researching its bizarre origins to perfect his theory of star system evolution. At the same time, he took a moment to admire the system's magnificent beauty through the clone his consciousness currently inhabited.
Compared to other galaxies, the Demon Eye Star System was indeed more beautiful.
Its interior was filled with gas and dust incredibly rich in various elements. When stimulated by the light of massive stars, it produced a dazzling array of colors visible to the naked eye without any post-processing. It was as beautiful as a work of art. Even Li Qingsong couldn't help but let his gaze linger.
"This Demon Eye Star System is so much more beautiful than the Milky Way Galaxy…"
Guiding the clone back to the large screen, Li Qingsong admired the breathtaking, high-definition image of the Demon Eye Star System and mused silently, 'Those beautiful pictures of the Milky Way Galaxy are all post-processed. They can't compare to the Demon Eye Star System.
'The workings of the Cosmos are truly strange…'
For a moment, Li Qingsong felt a wave of lethargy wash over him. All he wanted was to focus on admiring the image of the Demon Eye Star System; he didn't even feel like expending the mental energy to control his other clones and conduct research.
Of course, while other scientific research could be put on hold, his observation of the Demon Eye Star System could not be neglected.
In fact, not only could he not afford to relax, he had to dedicate even more telescopes to the observation effort.
'Only by obtaining more information about the Demon Eye Star System can I more accurately reconstruct its true appearance. That way, the images I admire will be even more detailed and lifelike.'
With this in mind, Li Qingsong had the clone send a directive to several Blutuk People astronomers also participating in the mission: "A new batch of data has been generated. It's time for analysis."
"…Understood."
The Blutuk People astronomer's response was delayed. Li Qingsong asked, "What are you busy with?"
The Blutuk People astronomer seemed to finally snap out of it and apologized profusely, "Manager Sun, I'm sorry. I was admiring the star chart of the Demon Eye Star System and got distracted for a moment.
"This Demon Eye Star System is just so beautiful. It's like it has some kind of magic, it just makes you want to keep looking."
Controlling the clone the Blutuk People astronomer called Manager Sun, Li Qingsong nodded in agreement. "Yes, it really is."
Before the large screen, inside the clone housing his consciousness, Li Qingsong secretly mused, 'As expected. For intelligent life, there must be some universal concept of beauty.
'Even though our physiologies and cultural backgrounds are different, both the Blutuk People and I agree that the Demon Eye Star System is exceptionally beautiful.'
Li Qingsong went back to admiring the view.
But a moment later, a jolt went through Li Qingsong, and he shot to his feet.
'This... this is fucking wrong. There's a problem!'
'This... this... No matter how beautiful the star chart of the Demon Eye Star System is, it's still just a picture. Why have I become so mesmerized without even realizing it?'
'And it's not just me—even the Blutuk People are becoming obsessed?'
'Can a single image really have such a powerful hold?'
After a moment of rapid thought, Li Qingsong made a decisive choice: he transferred his consciousness to another clone, one that had never seen the image of the Demon Eye Star System.
In that instant, the urge that had been tugging at him like a thousand tiny hooks—the impulse to go back and admire the image of the Demon Eye Star System for just a little longer—vanished completely.
Then, when Li Qingsong extended his consciousness to probe the mind of the clone he had just vacated, he discovered something that horrified him.
Clones had no consciousness of their own.
Once he severed his conscious link, they became like people in a vegetative state. They had no emotions, no awareness, not even the most basic instinct for survival.
They felt no desire to eat or drink. They would only swallow instinctively if another clone placed food and water in their mouths.
But now, from within the mind of this completely mindless clone, Li Qingsong clearly sensed a desire.
The desire to continue gazing upon the star chart of the Demon Eye Star System!
'It's as if it has its own consciousness! It... it wants to keep looking at the star chart!'
This was the first time something like this had happened since Li Qingsong had discovered his ability to link his consciousness with the clones.
'Something's definitely not right. There's a fucking problem...'
Now in a new body, free from the desire to keep watching the star chart of the Demon Eye Star System, Li Qingsong decisively issued a series of commands.
Instantly, the thousands of large telescopes observing the Demon Eye Star System were shut down. All clones analyzing the system's data turned off their screens.
The Blutuk People astronomers on the mission looked at each other in confusion.
"As of this moment, the Demon Eye Star System observation mission is suspended. All participants are on leave until further notice."
Li Qingsong decisively had the clone that possessed the desire to "continue watching the star chart of the Demon Eye Star System," along with all other clones who had participated in the observation, transported under strict quarantine to a pre-evacuated habitat ship.
All Blutuk People scientists involved in the mission were transferred to a separate habitat ship and forbidden to leave.
After that, Li Qingsong dispatched a large number of robots equipped with the most advanced biological and medical equipment. They were to conduct exhaustive physical examinations on both the clones and the Blutuk People.
Li Qingsong had to find out what was happening to his clones and the Blutuk People. He had to understand why viewing the Demon Eye Star System caused living beings to become obsessed—so obsessed that it could even generate desire in a mindless clone!
But even the most sophisticated examinations revealed no abnormalities.
Yet Li Qingsong could still clearly perceive the clone's desire. Meanwhile, the Blutuk People scientists, now cut off from the Demon Eye Star System's data, began showing signs of agitation and anxiety. They even repeatedly requested that Li Qingsong let them see the star chart images again.
Li Qingsong did not refuse.
'Since they're already in total quarantine, if they want to look, let them look. This is a perfect opportunity for me to observe what happens next.'
Under strict quarantine, Li Qingsong observed them closely, his wariness raised to its absolute peak.
After some time, Li Qingsong observed peculiar changes taking place aboard the two quarantine ships, affecting both the clone and the Blutuk People astronomers.
Their hormone levels began to be affected, and their genes started to mutate under the influence of some unknown force. Bizarrely, however, their outward appearances remained completely unchanged.
'Fuck, something is definitely wrong.'
Cursing inwardly, Li Qingsong once again moved the two completely isolated habitat ships to a position hundreds of millions of kilometers away from the main fleet. He then deployed hundreds of high-yield hydrogen bombs around them to ensure that no matter what happened, the safety of the main fleet would not be compromised.
The clone and the Blutuk People scientists continued to change, little by little. Eventually, Li Qingsong completely lost his conscious connection to that clone.
He could no longer project his consciousness into its body.
And the clone, it seemed, now possessed a consciousness of its own.
Looking at this clone, three words flashed into Li Qingsong's mind.
Parasitic Celestial Calamity!