Cowdyceps

Cowdyceps
Japanese	冬牛夏草
Romaji	Tōgyū Kasō
Debuts
Light Novel	CD Drama 2

Cowdyceps (冬(とう)牛(ぎゅう)夏(か)草(そう)) are a type of parasite mushroom that can possess both animals and monsters they infect.

Appearance

Cowdyceps make the creatures that they infest grow cysts on their heads in the shape of disgusting faces that appear to have liquid squirming beneath the skin.

Overview

Cowdyceps generally infest livestock living on rooftops, possessing their brains to make them attack other animals, after which the fungi lay eggs in the slain animals' bodies. They can also infect monsters like undead.

Trivia

• They were designed based off the herb Caterpillar Fungus.
• In the initial web novel, the Cowdyceps appeared soon after the first Cabbage harvest, when Kazuma's party performed a quest for subjugating infected cattle.