Mutants

The Mutants are a band of enemies found in Dark Deception: Unchecked Limitations. They are experiments created by the Professor and are the main enemies of 'Experimental Extinction'.

Appearance
The Mutants can vary widely in appearance and can be categorized into various types. They are typically divided into two groups: Mutated Monsters and Mutated Mortals.

Mutated Monsters
Mutated Monsters resemble black versions of their original counterparts with lime eyes, teeth, and other features. These lime spots are bioluminescent and glow in the dark. Their skin is made out of some weird black inky substance. Some also have their own unique differences:


 * Mutant Watchers have barred smiles
 * Mutant Duckies have Mettaton legs
 * Mutant Xutep have small pupils in their hollow eyes
 * Mutant Nurses have glowing crosses and their syringes are filled with a lime-colored substance inside.

Mutated Mortals
Mutated Mortals are ironically far more monstrous and unsettling than the Mutated Monsters. These creatures are humans that have bioluminescent spots and black skin and have had their shape twisted into various unsettling forms such as enlargened mouths, missing limbs, extra eyes, multiple heads, and even claws.


 * The Stalkers resemble long tall humanoids and generally are the most human-like of the Mutated Mortals.
 * The Standers have a melted puddle where their feet should be and have no arms, instead they have multiple heads with long necks.
 * The Climbers have flat bodies, short stubby limbs, and a large glowing bulb on their back.
 * The Stickers are stuck to the ceiling and have a singular eye along with various stalks on which sticky blobs grow
 * The Crawlers have no bodies, they are just heads with long arms on their sides.
 * The Hangers have Trilobite-like armor with a single eye and two crab-like claws, they hang out of ventilation shafts and holes in the ceiling
 * The Slimers are shapeless blobs with multiple eyes similar to Kashigiri's true form, only not as huge and nowhere near as terrifying
 * The Bulbers come in two forms, the first is a blob stuck to the ground through black growths. The second resembles a sort of jellyfish
 * The Gallopers walk on all fours and have large gaping mouths. They gallop through the halls like Horses
 * The Gulpers have two legs, one long tail, and a giant mouth in place of a body closely resembling the deep sea Gulper Eel
 * The Wormers have long worm-like bodies with two thin but muscular arms. They have large eyes and have a mouth with black flesh fangs

Powers
The Mutants are the product of experimentation by the Professor. They have indestructible black, oily skin, bioluminescence, higher intelligence than their original selves as well as unnatural levels of strength. They can take the form and shape of anything it wants, growing new limbs, tentacles, heads, and any biological part necessary to its survival. The Mutant Monsters also possess all the powers that the original counterparts have.

Some Mutants will form groups whereas others will remain solitary. Some will actively hunt mortals while others will choose an area to live in and only kill any trespassers who enter their area.

Behaviour
The Mutants have varying behaviors. Mutated Monsters also have faster speeds and more aggressive AI than their previous counterparts. Being near them causes visual effects in the player's vision and they will hear echoing screaming, whispering, and laughing.

Most of the Mutants are surprisingly tanky and do not stagger when attacked by most abilities, including Thunderclap or Blow Dart. However, they're incredibly flammable and weak to Pyrokinesis, as told by Bierce herself. Those set on fire will run around in panic, potentially spreading the fire to other Mutant experiments. Their residue is also flammable.


 * Mutant Monkeys: They always know the location of the player and relentlessly chase them, functioning similar to the normal Murder Monkeys. Unlike their normal counterparts, these Monkeys have a speed boost that they can activate when they directly see the player, in which if a Monkey sees the player within a certain distance, they will reel slightly backward immediately before charging in a straight line towards them quickly.
 * Mutant Leviathans: Function exactly like the original Lifter Leviathans but are also immune to Primal Fear. Upon detecting the player, they will immediately dash backward and then launch a damaging wave of tar-like substance from a great distance, killing the player on contact. They can drop sentinels, which are squid-like mutants that ordinarily lie limp on the floor but spring up as the player approaches, screeching and alerting the Mutant Leviathan to their prospective prey. The Mutant Leviathans have the ability to teleport to these sentinels whenever they want.
 * Mutant Servants: Function exactly like the original Blood Servants but will notify any nearby mutant of the player's location when they screech. They also throw multiple chunks of themselves at once.
 * Mutant Watchers: Use the same red light green light mechanic as the original Gold Watchers, but if looked at for too long they will automatically begin moving, usually by phasing around. Looking away then looking back resets this timer. As long as the player maintain line of sight with a Mutant Watcher (and line of sight doesn't mean the player can actually see each other), their most powerful ability will be temporarily weakened, greatly increasing their cooldown timer and decreasing the duration of activation. If fully upgraded, the power is just set to level 1. It will end immediately after breaking eye contact, but it will stack if multiple is near, making them very dangerous to avoid.
 * Mutant Xutep: The Mutant Xutep are similar to the original Xutep Grunts but will accelerate if they see the player near a light source. They are relatively swift (about the same speed as the player), and they can stifle the player's mobility by tranquilizing them with huge needle-like teeth from the back of their main jaw. Their teeth release a toxin that slows and eventually kills the player unless they discover an antidote, which is an item that may be used indefinitely if obtained. However, to use it, the player must slow down.
 * Mutant Duckies: These Duckies are immune to telepathy, unlike the original Dread Duckies. The effect the player experiences when near a Mutant can be used to distinguish the hostile ones from the docile ones. After a while, once the player is currently within in their line of sight, it will inflict the player with suicidal thoughts, leaving them defenseless and moving slowly. Resist the Mutant Ducky's influence by rapidly pressing the F key repeatedly or die via suicide.
 * Mutant Clowns: Will come in a swarm of 5 other Mutant Clowns. Mutant Clowns will frequently use telekinesis to bring various objects within the environment toward them, before throwing them towards the player. To get to the player as quickly as possible, the Mutant Clowns may liquefy and melt through the floor, wall, or ceiling. If the need occurs, it will alter its body to fit through vents rather than melting them. When Pyrokinesis is activated, the Mutant Clowns melt in the heat, and when Cryokinesis is activated, the Mutant Clowns freeze in the cold.
 * Mutant Ectoraptors: These Ectoraptors will wander around the room randomly, occasionally stopping to shoot a stream of green radioactive flames at the player. These flames have limited range, and are blocked by obstacles. Upon getting stunned with Primal Fear or Blow Dart, a Mutant Ectoraptor's skull will fall to the ground and start separating themselves into levitating bones that will chase the player for a while, before attempting to return to their respective Ectoraptor's skull, reviving them.
 * Mutant Gladiators: Functions exactly like the Fallen Gladiators but if the player attempts to stun them with Primal Fear while shielding, they will automatically counterattack by detonating their shields in a blast radius, killing the player on contact. Due to their explosive shields, the Mutant Gladiators can normally only be stunned/knocked from behind. Additionally, the Mutant Gladiators can also parry nearby projectiles that are created through Blow Dart, Pyrokinesis, and Cryokinesis while lunging with their swords.
 * Mutant Nurses: Functions exactly like the regular Reaper Nurses but possess a large detection radius and will always turn invisible until they're approached. Much like the Gold Watchers, they will slow down considerably once within a set distance from the player. Once in range, the Mutant Nurse will reveal themselves before performing a devastating charged thrust with their syringe. They will turn visible for a short amount of time after attacking. Occasionally, the Mutant Nurses will throw a pill that releases a cloud of poisonous gas for 3 seconds.
 * Stalkers: The Stalkers will stalk the player and follow them. They do not produce any sound and can silently follow the player without being noticed. They move at a similar speed to the player but are not always aware of the player's location. The Stalkers are roughly as sophisticated as the player, avoiding them is nearly difficult. As a result, they will choose to avoid approaching the player from the front by sneaking around the map and surprising them so that they do not have time to stun it or see it coming. They will position Soul Shards in extremely risky locations, such as around security cameras and traps, or in locations where the player is unlikely to locate them, forcing them to rely on Telekinesis to obtain them. They also have just enough intelligence and strength to pick up adjacent objects and toss them accurately at the player while sprinting towards them, allowing it to kill the player as they're knocked down.
 * Standers: They just stand there... menacingly. If one of the Stander's heads sees the player, the creature will emit a warped vocalization that causes any nearby mutants to be aware of the player's location and inflicts the player with the Deafness status effect, muting all sounds created by the environment, enemies, and even disable the subtitles while it is active. The effect will last until the bar drains completely, and if the bar fully rises, the effect will last a full 30 seconds. They can still kill the player themselves if the player touches them.
 * Climbers: They climb on the walls and if touched the bulb on their back will explode and kill the player, therefore it is recommended to keep them in the middle of hallways. Much like the Trigger Teddies, using Primal Fear, Blow Dart, and Pyrokinesis will cause their bulbs to explode as well, although Cryokinesis will simply freeze these bulbs. Their bulbs regenerate after 5 seconds. The Climbers are particularly sensitive to light and will strive to avoid it (however it may chase the player for a brief time in a light region). Once the player enters a dark place, some of the Climbers will immediately begin following them, and if they are found, they will begin to tread carefully and silently, rather than immediately running. The Climbers are blind and so simple to deceive, yet even the smallest noise will wake them up (even walking) due to their echolocation ability.
 * Stickers: They stick themselves to the ceiling and if touched stick to the player, paralyzing them and holding them in place. Spam F to escape. If the player doesn't escape quickly enough, the stickers will digest the player alive. Upon detecting the player, they will briefly go into a low ready stance before lobbing a tar projectile up into the air in an arc towards the player every 3 seconds, making them hard to hit without taking damage.
 * Crawlers: They will crawl along the ground and do not chase the player even when they see them. They can spew out toxic chemicals from their body, which can trigger the player to cough and potentially alert other mutants in their surroundings. Using Primal Fear or whatever abilities will cause them to scurry away, but touching them can kill the player.
 * Hangers: The Hangers will hide in vents and holes in the ceiling. The player can easily spot them through their crab-like claws. Being under that spot will cause them to come down and snatch the player up. If they perceive the player is around, they will most likely drag its crab-like claws under tables in an attempt to grab them. The Hangers will swiftly crawl out of the vents if a security camera has spotted the player. It has the ability to turn off the lights in a room and then conceal inside. Dripping water from the vents is the most prevalent warning indicator, as the Hangers will attack the player if they bypass the water. They'll also be incredibly quiet, hiding on the ceiling, for example, waiting for the player to enter a specific area. It's highly recommended to use the Blow Dart ability on the ceiling to momentarily stun the Hangers before ambushing the player.
 * Slimers: The Slimers serve as roadblocks, they will move slowly but touching them causes death. They will block the way of even other Mutants but can be bypassed with Primal Fear and Teleport.
 * Bulbers: These things explode. The ground variant acts more like a trap than an enemy, exploding either on contact or through Primal Fear. These things often spawn in patches, and exploding them can cause a chain reaction that can stun other Mutants. The other variant floats in the air haphazardly, occasionally firing 4 radioactive projectiles at random intervals, but using Primal Fear will cause them to charge at the player at insane speeds before exploding.
 * Gallopers: They gallop through the hallways quickly in a set route. They do not chase the player but move very quickly. They will flicker the lights as a warning before speeding through multiple rooms and changing their set route. Hallways that the Gallopers has passed through will have their lights broken and these hallways will fall dark. Hiding while the Gallopers are speeding through rooms will provide safety to the player.
 * Gulpers: They chase the player on sight and if they catch the player they will swallow them whole. If the player is too far away, the Gulper will try to leap at them, and if it does, it will cling onto him like a leech and slowly injure them while also covering the screen. When swallowed, the player must spam F to escape or they will be digested. The gulpers can be a nuisance since they can swallow the player and walk to place further away from the Soul Shards. They have both ultrasonic and conventional eyesight, allowing them to see all the way across hallways while chasing the player. They also have excellent hearing, and they will almost instantly react to any noise (such as sentry gun beeps or soul shard collection) by emerging through a distorted gap in the map nearest to the source of the disturbance.
 * Wormers: The Wormers aggressively hunt down the player, moving at fast speeds on sight and breaking through walls. When they are charging at the player, they will ram other Mutants in the way, including Slimers. They are immune to Primal Fear and cannot be teleported through. They do not easily lose track of the player and can even predict their movements to cut them off, as they could pick up the player's scent if they've been in an area for a while. They also can climb over railings, and they're incredibly sensitive to noise, meaning that the player must stay away from cameras. They may spit a spectacular jet of radioactive liquid that can slow the player down in a chase and spit glue balls to block up passageways.

Trivia

 * The Mutant counterparts are separate from the Tainted counterparts and should not be confused with them.
 * Much like Kashigiri, the Mutants coincidentally shares an uncanny resemblance to the cartoon characters assimilated by The Darkness (often nicknamed as the Glitch or the Static by fans) from the Learning with Pibby, although both the Mutants and Kashigiri herself were technically made before the trailer itself dropped on Adult Swim's channel.
 * They're also somewhat similar to the Heartless from Kingdom Hearts franchise, the Reikgon Shadows from ROBLOX Decaying Winter (albeit with glowing lime eyes instead of red), Blotlings from Epic Mickey, and the eponymous creature from John Carpenter's The Thing (1982).
 * Originally, there were originally going to be Mutated versions of the Ghost Magicians and Jesters, but they were scrapped.
 * According to the Professor’s research notes, the transformation process for his Mutants is rather unique, to say the least, especially within the nightmarish territories controlled by Malak. When a monster becomes overwhelmed with their work schedule, which is particularly a common occurrence amongst those wishing a holiday vacation or a week-long break from catching mortals, what remains of their souls will instantly be sucked into the Riddle of Heaven, recycling the little essence that remains into materials that primarily makes up the Moon Charms and Sun Jades by Pharaohess Yagut. Their souls will also become the primary ingredient of a Crap Cola beverage. Afterward, the monster will undergo a transformation where they're now nothing more than an obedient blob of pure darkness, impervious to menial tasks.
 * Meanwhile, Mutated Mortals are created when the Professor injects a human or an animal with accumulated samples containing an essence that make up the Mutated Monsters. These are the stages that a human transforming into a Mutated Mortal will go through:
 * Stage 1: During stage one, a human will become insane. Symptoms of mental health problems can include schizophrenia, psychosis, or any known mental disorder, which results from issues with some naturally occurring brain chemicals, such as the neurotransmitters called dopamine and glutamale, etc., might be one of the symptoms of the alteration. A single dose of Health Crap or any antibiotics can can typically reverse these alterations, but it's not always effective and guaranteed upon.
 * Stage 2: During this stage, their skin will begin to slowly turn completely black and has an oily surface. The most distinct feature of this stage is that all sport eerie grins that are so wide they almost extend to the ground and they have the darkness pouring from their eyes and also possess stretched out and warped proportions, most prominently involving their jaws elongating widely. Their eyes will also start glowing bright in the dark due to bioluminescence. Health Crap can cure them but they may still have permanent scars on their skin.
 * Stage 3: Their body will gain further traits of the mutants, such as bioluminescent spots and have had their shape twisted into various unsettling forms such as enlarged mouths, missing limbs, extra eyes, multiple heads, and even claws. Their skin and muscle tissue will begin to dissolve and mutate in an unnatural fashion, often developing orifices and pustules that act as bioluminescent lights, sometimes developing holes in their body. They will scream in pain if they are fed medicine. Feeding them enough Health Crap will usually kill them but there have been some cases where they returned to sanity, albeit with unspeakable physical deformities.
 * Stage 4: They are a full Mutant with all of the traits of their type. Nothing but Pharaohess Yagut’s blessing could potentially cure their ailments. It is widely rumored that a Mutant can transform into something that is physically similar to Kashigiri under the right conditions, although the chances are extremely rare.
 * The Mutant Ectoraptor's ability to separate themselves into floating bones are based on Monsoon from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
 * The Mutant Gladiator's explosive shield ability are based on Sundowner from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Their ability to reflect nearby projectiles by parrying them may also be a reference to the similar mechanic from ULTRAKILL.
 * The Gallopers are based on Rush and Ambush from ROBLOX Doors.
 * The Bulbers are based on the Oomas, Uomas, and exploding bubbles in Hollow Knight
 * The Wormers are based on Bridge Worms, a creature made by Canadian Horror Artist Trevor Henderson
 * The Standers are based on HELP_tale Papyrus