Jonas Virus

The **Jonas Virus** was created by Lee Byeong-chan, a cell biologist who is working as a biology teacher in Hyosan High. It is responsible for the zombie outbreak in the fictional city of Hyosan. He was able to remove the concept of fear in humans by using high testosterone levels from mice he infected with Toxoplasma Gondii. The virus affects the amygdala, which controls the limbic system. The virus causes the white blood cells in the body to fight the healthy cells remaining, thus stopping the heart of the victim, as demonstrated by Kim Min-ji as she had a cardiac arrest before turning. Lee Byeong-chan was seen to use benzodiazepamine to slow the infection for a few hours.

## About the virus

Lee Byeong-chan was dissatisfied with the school, not taking his son's bullying seriously. As he lacked the authority to do so, he created the Jonas Virus out of hormones extracted from mice to remove the concept of fear from humans completely and instead, replace it with rage. He did so to help his son strike back at the bullies. When he injected the virus in Lee Jin-su, the virus worked almost as it was supposed to. But soon, as he started to feel a lot of fear regarding the bullies, it removed the fear from him, but also the sense of self-preservation and intelligence, and thus turning him into a feral animalistic zombie. He soon bit his mother. Lee Byeong-chan didn't have the heart to kill them so he tied them both up at his home.

### About the outbreak

Kim Hyeon-ju, while cleaning the science lab, had fell asleep. When she woke up, she heard strange noises from the supply room, so she went there to check. To her surprise, she found a mouse inside a box, and got bit by it. Lee Byeong-chan saw this and tied her up in the lab supply room, but she managed to escape into the classroom. She was noticed by the students and they rushed her to the infirmary. There she bit the school nurse and was given a sedative. The nurse soon turned and started infecting other students at the school.

The virus slowly spread from Hyosan High School towards the Hyosan city, but accelerated when Hyeon-ju reanimated and attacked the staff at the hospital. The virus caused the deaths of atleast 50,000 Hyosan residents.

It later got revealed that some people who have a very strong determination to live or do not feel any fear, are able to retain human intelligence even after getting infected as the virus mutates as soon as it detects antibodies, causing the white blood cells to lose their target. This special zombie-human hybrid called Halfbies(or Hambies in Korean dubbing). They are the asymptomatic carriers of the Jonas virus.

## Different variants of the Jonas Virus

### Normal Zombies

Zombies are the normal infected individuals that become mindless, animalistic cannibals, driven to eat every human around them. They crave human blood, and cannot live without it. They are most reactive to 24Hz tones. They are produced when the host is scared, or thinking of the virus at the time of infection. Their senses of sight and smell are highly heightened. They use these sense of sight and smell to bite any remaining survivors.

### Halfbies/Hambies

Halfbies/Hambies are the people who do not turn feral like most zombies. They gain enhanced strength and agility of normal zombies. They also have a craving for any kind of flesh including human(the impulse can however be controlled) and zombie flesh. They are extremely sensitive to 24Hz tones. They are produced when the host has a very strong determination to live that is stronger than that of the virus' or when they do not have any fear in mind. Their senses of sight and smell are also heightened. They can smell other hambies from very far away, while they cannot smell healthy humans from far away. While they are not completely infected, their body still releases a smell that makes other zombies ignore them.