After it was thrown in the lake, the slug grew to such size that it began to occasionally come ashore and terrorize the countryside with its appetite and its poisonous spit. Eventually the worm was subdued, but the gold ring could neither be retrieved from under it, nor could they manage to kill the creature. Instead they chose to tie its head and its tail to the bottom of the lake. Its continued growth since then means that its body occasionally reaches the surface, or even arches above it. The sightings of this phenomenon are considered ill omens.

While the famous humanized Nozuchi might have nothing to do with religion since the image is created during Edo period, in the Buddhist parable series Shasekishū from Kamakura period, it mentioned that monks who only used Buddhism just for fame and fortune will be reincarnated as Nozuchi, a creature that no longer has other senses but primal desire of eating through its mouth.

Also, it's possible that Nozuchi used to be the spirit of nature since it's name is related to Nozuchi-kami, a.k.a. the grass goddess Kaya-no-hime from Japanese mythology, and coincidentally, her husband, Ōyama-tsumi, was sometimes described as having the physical form of a snake. After Buddhism started to spread across Japan, Kaya-no-hime's image became a bit more chaotic (also in charge of fog and delusion), so Nozuchi also got yokai-fied.

That's very interesting indeed. Thank you for your valuable insight into this creature's origin. (Like, really. Got to research a bit about it after the Ask and got me pretty fixated) I plan to bring it to the Compendium soon enough! @briefbestiary and Yokai.com made amazing texts about this Yokai in particular. I did not research too much into Nozuchi's origin specifically. When i did a little research i got fascinated by the tale, because it's described like a real animal, besides the obvious magic associations. The idea of it being poisonous, or capable of killing a prey with a fever seems very creepy to me. I liked specially of the egotistical Buddhist Monk version. Although, i do think the 'spirit of nature' line of thought sits better with me, it's interesting nonetheless.

As i said in the Vouivre episode, the snakes and the Human species have a lot of connections through folklore and religion, and this kind of thing gets me very hyper fixated on the topic.

But what really surprised me about your ask, was the Kaya-no-Hime association with Nozuchi! That was new to me, and made me even more interested in bringing this creature to the Compendium one day. I will do more research about it! In the meantime, i will absolutely accept any suggestions of books (even in Japanese) to read and get my brain pumping about this one. Thanks again by the Ask! I enjoy talking with other kind hearted souls who love this topic. I gotta remember that the ask box is always open.

Yokai.com and Kazuma Kaneko interpretations of this Yokai

Without much doubt, the most famous of all Fearsome Critters. These beasts are well known for their popularity as taxidermy hoaxes subjects.

Bouncing spiny critters. Resilient things, their thick quills, fur, and skin protect them from the majority of harm in their reckless rebounding.

The Devourer of the Dead. She who sits idly near the scales, waiting until truth finds a heavy heart for her maw.

An unwanted creature, highly abhorrent to those who keep sheep. It is a notable detriment that has tendencies to wander ashore and stalk the coastlines, on the lookout for ewes to approach.

Knowledge that should not be pursued. Writhing madness resides out in the fields, almost like a trap for those who want to know what exactly they're seeing from so far away.

A strange monster. Supposedly, when it disappeared into the mine, it went in alongside another of its kind.

A cryptid of 1964, its large form was described as a "huge white obstruction".

Distorted equine souls caught entwined with branches. As part of its surprise, it not only screams out, but may also suddenly drop from its hidden spot to suddenly dangle in front of its victims.

Be cautious around the fields, for even a seemingly playful hound may be malignant should it be from the midst of those field crops.

The leaping legend who, supernatural or not, terrified streets across a nation.

A legendary Lake District creature reported by and boasted of by a particular boatman starting in 1900. A fairly successful charismatic appeal to tourists with tales of this small winged hedgehog with a somewhat lengthy tail.

Perhaps the most famous of America's cryptids, the ominous Mothman. The entity has garnered quite the reputation, even having a yearly festival dedicated to it in Point Pleasant.

A prevailing theory, outside of being sightings of actual owls, is that the Owlman is a product of the known hoax-lover, Tony "Doc" Shiels.

A clever carnivore that primarily lived in Maine, but was also believed to have been sighted in other nearby regions as well. This feline was capable of playing with its food at an incredible scale.