Alright, let me break it down for you in a more personal and detailed way. This is how I understand the process of how clickers are made.
First of all, let’s talk about Cordyceps. It’s a type of fungus that primarily affects insects and other arthropods in the natural world. However, in the fictional world of video games like The Last of Us, Cordyceps has evolved to infect humans as well.
Now, when a person gets infected with the Cordyceps virus, it’s not an instantaneous transformation into a clicker. In fact, it’s a slow and gradual process that takes over a year to fully develop. The fungus begins to grow and spread within the body, particularly targeting the brain.
During this time, the infected person starts to experience various symptoms. They may initially show flu-like symptoms such as coughing, fever, and fatigue. As the infection progresses, they may start to have trouble sleeping, become more aggressive, and lose their ability to communicate effectively.
But it’s the physical transformation that truly distinguishes clickers from regular infected individuals. The fungus literally envelops their faces, forming a grotesque and distinctive fungal growth. This growth completely obscures their eyes and distorts their facial features, giving them a distinct clicker appearance.
The process of fungal growth and transformation is not just limited to the face. It can spread throughout the body, causing the infected person to become covered in fungal growths. These growths serve as a means for the fungus to reproduce and spread further.
But why do clickers develop this extreme fungal growth, while regular infected individuals do not? Well, it’s believed that this is due to the prolonged exposure and interaction with the fungus. Clickers are typically individuals who have been infected for a longer period of time, allowing the fungus to fully take over their bodies.
In a way, clickers can be seen as a symbiotic relationship between the host and the fungus. The fungus uses the infected individual as a vessel to reproduce and spread, while the infected individual gains enhanced strength and durability, albeit at the cost of their humanity.
It’s important to note that the process of clicker transformation is purely fictional and based on the world created in The Last of Us. In reality, Cordyceps primarily affects insects and does not have the ability to infect and transform humans in the same way.
So there you have it, a more detailed explanation of how clickers are made in The Last of Us universe. It’s a slow and gradual process that involves the fungus taking over the body, particularly the face, over the course of a year or more. It just goes to show the stark contrast between zombies and Cordyceps infections, as the infected individuals truly become one with the fungus.