Item from The Last of Us by Naughty Dog
A walking fortress of fungal armor — years of Cordyceps growth covering a human body in thick plates, making it nearly invulnerable and capable of throwing mycotoxin bombs.
Bloaters are the late-stage Cordyceps infection — years of fungal growth have completely consumed the host, creating a creature of pure fungal biomass that uses the human skeleton as scaffolding. They are rare (most infected don't survive long enough to reach this stage) and devastating — their armor resists most weapons, and their mycotoxin projectiles can kill at range. The bloater emergence in the HBO series — rising from the underground nest in Kansas City — is one of the show's most visually terrifying moments.
Massive — a human body swollen to enormous size by years of fungal growth. Covered head to toe in thick, layered Cordyceps plates that function as armor. No human features are visible. It moves slowly but with unstoppable momentum. It throws clumps of mycotoxin that explode on contact.
Also known as: Bloater, Bloaters