Hunter In The Bush (1)
The full-scale chaos has begun. There’s a term for this: the tipping point. There’s also the broken windows theory. South Korea has always had a reputation for excellent public safety. And honestly, it was true. Where else in the world could you find a country like this? Thanks to that stellar security, there wasn't any major chaos in the beginning.
However, public safety isn't infinite; it has its limits. When disorder and chaos accumulate, there comes a moment when it crosses the threshold that law enforcement can handle. The tipping point. The moment when reactions explode based on a certain trigger. It’s similar to a critical threshold. The riots and disturbances crossed that threshold, and it became a tipping point, spreading disorder everywhere.
Koreans are generally quite gentle. I might be wrong, but at the very least, they aren't senseless or barbaric. That might be their nature. Or perhaps it’s due to the well-maintained public order or long years of etiquette education. But even those Koreans are human, and they cannot escape the violence that exists instinctively within them. The nature they had been suppressing or hiding due to the fear of greater disadvantages—it all burst out once the tipping point was crossed. Pop! Just like that.
Disorder was unleashed upon society. Of course, there are still more people trying to maintain order. Humans tend to worry more about what they might lose than what they might gain. So, they weigh the crime they’re about to commit against the potential profit, and then calculate the disadvantage if they get caught. What’s certain is that the latter is far greater. That’s where the power of deterrence and restraint comes from.
The broken windows theory posits that if a broken window is left unrepaired, crime will spread centered around that spot. Neglected minor disorder. It’s a confirmation. A confirmation that there is no one to replace the broken window and no one who cares about it. So, the deterrence and restraint vanish. It becomes a lawless zone. South Korea was the same. Once people realized that public safety and law enforcement weren't functioning properly, the number of people committing crimes increased indiscriminately.
A scene of chaos, or perhaps an absolute hell on earth. "Why hold back when I won't get caught?" Those who thought this way acted as if they had been waiting for this moment, running wild to their hearts' content. Good grief, anyone watching would think they’d been hoping for this. Just like me.
On top of that, the Infected kept appearing. Ah, I got the cause and effect backward. The social chaos happened because the number of Infected increased. The Infected, with their bloodshot eyes, attacking every human they see. With those Infected drawing all the aggro, it’s only natural that criminals can run rampant. The police and the military couldn't stop them. Of course, they could have stopped them in the beginning. But that’s a thing of the past. Because Infected started appearing among the police and soldiers, too. That’s why they couldn't use their firearms.
How could they pull the trigger when a colleague or partner who suddenly turned Infected was pointing a muzzle right at the person next to them? In truth, there must have been other reasons. It hadn't been revealed yet that they "couldn't be cured." So, they were just Infected. Just criminals. The state would find it incredibly burdensome to fire shots at its own citizens like that. Who would take responsibility for it? No one wants to. So, guns were never fired. Police could only carry batons, extendable batons, or at most, Taser guns, and soldiers were forced to carry rifles loaded only with blank rounds.
Geez... watching this, everyone must feel frustrated. Over there in foreign countries, they just go bang-bang and shoot everything, right? Anyway, perhaps because of that, the number of Infected increased like crazy. Society became chaotic at a rapid pace, and civilian casualties rose exponentially. If this were just a simple zombie outbreak, stopping it wouldn't have been this difficult. At least then you could seal them off. Infection only happens if you get physically bitten. But this is different. It’s a situation where you don't know who will turn Infected or when.
So, there is no one who can stop this situation. Even if you wear a gas mask or a face mask now, you could suddenly turn Infected due to other factors. I sat back comfortably in my main base, watching that spectacle. Fortunately, the internet still works. I guess the infrastructure hasn't completely shut down yet. Well, infrastructure is important. Even if the situation gets serious, you have to protect what needs protecting. Anyway, the communities and social media still function normally. Thanks to that, I can watch the situation outside comfortably while sitting at home.
At the same time, I’m paying attention to something else. I’m sick of watching videos of Infected attacking people. There’s no need to watch more. I just need to understand the big picture. What I’m focusing on is animals. Especially insects. This is what worries me the most. You can stop humans. They’re bulky, for one thing. And when they’re hit by the Nerve Disruption Spores, they throw silence out the window. They stomp around and scream for no reason. So, you can at least prepare for them. But insects are different. Especially since I covered my house with soil, I’m even more sensitive to this. What if things like ants suddenly swarm inside? What if bugs get into the storage? What if there’s a problem with the electricity or water? I still check periodically and have set up a few countermeasures, but I still can't feel at ease.
For one thing, I hate anything with more than six legs. I wish they’d all just die. Seriously. But there are many other things to worry about besides that. Especially plants and fungi—they’re lethal. On top of the soil covering my house, weeds have grown like crazy before I even realized it. Anyone looking would think it’s always been like that. Honestly, if an outsider looked here, they’d never in a million years guess there was a house inside.
Fungi are a bit of a headache. I’m controlling the humidity, I’ve installed HEPA filters, and I’m checking periodically, but... fungi and spores are invisible. So, I can't help but feel uneasy. Still, there’s nothing I can do. I have to be careful if I don't want to suddenly turn Infected and smash everything I see. So, I have to be careful when I go outside, too. Plus, I have to worry about the triggers that haven't been properly identified yet.
Anyway, I think it’s about time I tried capturing an Infected. Will it actually work? To be honest, I’m not confident. The probability of me getting infected by the spores is high, too. But the benefits I’d gain if I succeed are significant. So, I can't give up easily. It’s not like I have anything else to do right now anyway.
A few days later. That day was the day I was scheduled to check the wind turbines and hydroelectric generator on the mountain. I woke up late around lunchtime, stretched my body lightly, and prepared to head out. I have to be thorough with my preparations. It would be unfair to turn Infected for no reason. First, I spray my nasal saline and put on a mask. A gas mask would be more certain, but it stands out too much. It’s hot, too. So, this is fine for a short trip. This much is okay.
I head outside. Since it’s a remote area, there’s no chance of any commotion around here. Problems only arise when there are people. I have to be careful of insects and animals, though. I walked out to the two-lane road that’s a bit of a walk from my house. A road where not a single car passes. A quiet road. Well, who would be passing through here in times like these? Especially with the situation as it is.
Perhaps because of that, the edges of the asphalt road are already densely covered in grass. It’s gotten to the point where the grass is even breaking through parts of the asphalt and growing there. Plants are amazing. To think they’d erode human civilization like this. This is asphalt that stays intact even when cars weighing several tons drive over it. Yet, plants squeeze through the cracks. Is this the power of Mother Nature? I wonder, how much longer will this road maintain its form?
At least it’s a relief that there’s winter. It’s useful that the damn winter exists for times like this. I turn my body and head up the mountain. A patrol that doubles as physical training. At first, I was panting heavily just from the climb. Now, I can run up it lightly. That means my body has improved that much. I climb along the mountain path. Then, I head down to a nearby valley to check the hydroelectric generator. It’s fine. No rust. I’m glad I changed the parts. I hope it doesn't break and lasts a long time.
I climb a bit higher. Then, I check the wind turbine. No one would ever notice this thing exists unless they climbed all the way up here. I painted it in camouflage colors, so it wouldn't be easy to find from the foot of the mountain. I’ve already tried it myself. Even though I knew the location, I searched for a long time with binoculars from the bottom of the mountain, but I couldn't find this turbine. So, this too should last a long time as long as it doesn't break. I really hope so.
Anyway, since I’ve finished the inspection, I take out my binoculars and look down at the foot of the mountain. Far away at the base of the mountain, there is a village. A village of about 30 households. A typical rural village where most of the residents are elderly. That village is my own personal yardstick for measuring how ruined the world has become. Only when all the people in that village become Infected or die will the situation be considered truly serious. After all, the elderly are slow to get news. Besides, they have nowhere else to go. This place is their home and their foundation, so where would they go? Even if their children wanted to bring them over, it wouldn't be easy in the current situation. So, I observe them with my binoculars.
As expected, they’re doing what they need to do, regardless of whether the world has ended or not. A grandmother working in her vegetable garden. A grandfather handling farm machinery. An old man riding a motorcycle—people like that. Nothing’s wrong. I guess the world hasn't completely ended yet. It looks so peaceful down there. Well, there’s a significant gap between the internet and reality. The internet gathers the most "fucked up" parts of the world and shows them to you. So, if you only look at that, it seems like the world is truly fucked. What do they call it? Selection bias? It seemed like something similar to that. Anyway, most of my information comes from the internet. So, I have to compare it with actual reality so I don't fall into that kind of stupidity. That’s the only way to know for sure.
I’ll have to wait a little longer. I’ll have to hunker down and hide a bit more until the chaos is severe enough that I can snatch a few Infected without any problems. Like a hunter hiding in the bushes.