Death to Monsters

 "The System... Has given me another reason to kill you," Winter dashed at one Kang, and they clashed daggers. "We're both in a class that uses rapid movements and a dagger as a weapon," Kang began, "assassins, right?" Winter asks as they compete to our pace each other. "Don't you think I'm the best candidate to teach you a thing or two?" He asks while dodging Winter's attacks. "You're right, I'm learning a lot from you. I now know that an opponent who talks too much is just a pathetic person," Winter explained, catching Kang's business suit. Kang swung back, but Winter leaped back in time. Just as he landed on his foot, Winter enabled a skill.

~>System<{" 1 The [Skill: Speed] Has Been [Activated], [Player]'s [Speed] [Increased] by [30%]. [Mana] Will be [Consumed] Every [Minute] While This [Skill] is in Use,"}>it rang<~< p>

~>System<{" 50 The [Skill: Great Ultima's Rage] Has Been [Activated]. [Player]'s [Stats] Have [Increased] by 30%. Cursed Energy Will Be Consumed Every Minute While This Skill is in Use,"}>it rang in sync with the first<~< p>

 Then, a massive burst of air and aura erupted where Winter once stood. Kang could only see the dusty trail that was left behind from each step Winter took. "He became even faster?!" Kang thought to himself, bringing his dagger up to block an attack to his face, but it was no use, with one slash Winter broke his guard and cut into Kang before speeding past him. "Is this guy using a skill as well?" Kang thought as Winter skids nearly a yard behind him. Kang looked down to see blood falling from his body.

~>System<{" [Effect: Paralysis] Has Been Activated. Bleed] Activated,"}>it rang as veins popped, and more blood spilled out<~< p>

 "Have I been poisoned?!" Kang thought, growing angry and annoyed. "I see. This is because of that dagger of yours. Seems like it has special abilities," Kang turned to see Winter, with one eye bloodshot. Just as the effects were fading, Kang began moving again, "The effects don't last long because of his resistance," Winter thought to himself, "You're not half bad," Winter replied, the jaw of the mask moving as he spoke. "Now it's my turn to show you something exciting," Kang smiled sinisterly on his face. He began to go invisible, cloaked in a strange ability, before completely disappearing. "What-? What's going on? I can't sense his presence anymore," Winter thought his heart was racing. The white cursed energy that made his mask began to spread, covering more of his face and body.

 Without thinking, Winter's left hand jerked up and to the left, blocking an incoming attack. Following, his eyes looked there to get confirmation. "I've completely concealed myself, yet you still managed to block my attack," Kang began from no discernible location. "Your senses are pretty sharp," he complimented, nearly taunting Winter. "The skill Stealth allows me to disappear. You won't see, hear, or smell my presence. Only a handful of assassins have attained this rare skill, but of course, nobody knows that I have the ability to camouflage myself," Kang continued, "Because there's no one who lived to tell the tale," he explained, lunging to attack Winter once more. Once again, his head jerked to the left with his hand where Kang was attacking, but it never came. Rather, an unseen dagger cut through Winter's leg, "I've ruined your leg," Kang explained, partly leaving his cloaked magic. Winter growled in pain. A blood-curdling noise for everyone. "It could be easily healed in no time if there was a healer close by. Since you're so far away from your healer, you'll probably only be able to receive basic healing spells," Kang sinisterly explained to Winter, with his blood running down his leg and foot. "Winter!" The healer exclaimed, concerned for the balance of the fight falling out of their favor. "Don't try anything stupid. Stay where you are," Kang threateningly pointed his bloody dagger at the healer. "You're next," he added as the healer halted in fear, trembling. "At this rate, Winter will run out of energy first," David thought, gritting his teeth with sweat running down his face. "I can't even leave this place to call for reinforcements," he mumbled to himself, his hand trembling as it held onto the sword. "My skills aren't strong enough to help Winter. I can at least buy enough time for him to get healed!" David thought, tightly holding onto the sword's grip.

 "You think you can withstand my attacks in your current state? That speed boosting skill will be of no use," Kang explained sinisterly, smiling smugly. "How many minutes will it take for you to heal? Your leg is," he began, and was about to continue. "Hey, just shut up already," Winter turned to face him, "Accept Reward: Status Recovery," he commanded as he stood up. A flash of light encompasses Winter, healing his wounds and removing his fatigue. Everyone watched in shock, "He recovered instantly?!" Kang thought, "Is he not an assassin like me? How does he have healing abilities?!" He thought as the situation returned to Winter's favor. "I can't rely on my special permissions to outlast my opponent. There must be another way," Winter thought, as more and more of the mask began to spread, nearly covering his chest, and shoulders. Rage from his eyes pulsated through his flesh and mask, running down his neck to his shoulders and chest. "A trick? More illusions? He must be bluffing! How many more times can he use that ability? I can't tell one damn thing," Kang thought, cloaked in his invisibility once more. This guy's dangerous," he added as Winter patiently stood there, waiting for something, an attack. A threat to sense and uproot. "I can... Only feel... Anger," he thought as a fire felt to burn in his eyes. "It's not worth getting mad at someone like you," Winter suddenly slashes at Kang. Narrowly escaping death once more, and losing more of his tie. "He saw through my camouflage again?!" Kang thought, with the fear of God struck into him. "You're going straight for my neck... Is that it?" Kang asked, "I finally understand what sets you apart from the others. You've killed before," Kang explained, smiling wide, and sinisterly. "What the hell, so you are like me!" He laughed. "Raiders are faced with an infinite number of life-or-death situations. In order to survive, Winter chose to risk his own life and end the lives of others. He's been forced to make overwhelmingly difficult decisions in a short period of time. I guess his appearance isn't the only thing that has changed," David thought, "Awakenings brought about an unexpected force, which altered the rules of society. New Rules were made exclusively for Mythics," Kang began, "Laws or ethics don't apply to us. He who is strong is the only law. Which is why I'm going to unleash my true power," he explained, disappearing and zooming towards Winter in multiple directions.

 Winter stood there, waiting, his red eyes pulsating with his pounding heart. Kang leaped up on the walls, ceilings and off the floor, slashing at Winter with all of his might and speed. Winter not only kept up with him, but got faster, blocking each dagger, and countering some that were slower than the usual attack. The Cavern echoed with the sound of metal sparking and clashing together at high speeds. "I see. I think I know how he saw through my camouflage," Kang thought, trying to break through Winter's guard. "My presence is concealed as soon as the skill is enabled, but if I attack with the strong intention of killing my opponent, I become detectable for a split second. "He must be waiting for that very moment," Kang thought of rushing towards Winter. "Still, he probably won't be able to predict exactly where my attacks are coming from! I have to be unpredictable," Kang thought to himself, getting closer, but Winter wasn't budging. Not even glitching, he has yet prepared to block a coming attack. Kang smiled, but that quickly faded when he saw Winter look up straight at him.

~>System<{" The [Skill: Bloodlust] Has Been [Activated],"}>it rang<~< p>

 A powerful wave of red and black mana consumed Winter, rushing like wind into Kang's face. Confused, He halted, slowing down but not by choice. It felt like he was wading through thick, muddy water. It was hard to move and see. The water rose, and increased the difficulty of moving, "What the-?" Kang asked himself, looking down to see a dark, black water. Then, looking up, he saw nothing, a blinding darkness and a pair of burning eyes. "What's going on?! What the hell is this?" Kang asked himself in fear, as the blinding darkness stared back with red, and partially blue eyes. "Is this... His shadow?" He thought. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced his chest. The illusion broke, and blood began to spill from his chest. "Who... Are you?!" He asked, falling back, starting to puke blood out from his flooding stomach and lungs. Winter didn't reply, looking down at him as the darkness receded from him.

 "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. It's akin to: 'If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you,'" Kang recounted, "Mythics have witnessed countless deaths, and have taken many lives. Because we straddle the line between life and death, we not only fight against monsters, but against ourselves," he explained to Winter, "We have become extraordinary 'killing machines'. You're no different," Kang began, "We face death on a daily basis, so don't tell me you're lumping us Mythics together with ordinary people," he warned Winter. "Anyway, I've lost, so I'll die. It's the natural order," he continued, laid bloody and beaten against the cave wall. "Let me just ask you one last thing. What's your deal? An assassin class with healing abilities, and to top it off, you have the ability to debuff your opponents. I've never heard of such a thing," Kang asked, confused but in an accepting tone. Winter looked down at him, through the eye socks of the skull-mask. His little red, beady eyes glowed in the shadow the mask cast on his eyes. "I'd like to know the answer to that, too," Winter replied, his hands in his pocket. "A guy like me who talks too much may be pathetic to you, but someone with too many secrets isn't all that great either," Kang replied, coughing and wheezing.

~>System<{" The [Effect: Paralysis] Has Been [Activated]. Bleed] [Activated],"}>it rang, bringing more pain and suffering to the dying Kang<~< p>

 "Now that you've been killed, you won't be able to hide your secrets," Kang smiled sinisterly, with blood running down his bottom lip. Winter didn't reply, his red eyes fading in brightness. "Let's say I'm a mythic that grows stronger with every battle. How much stronger do you think I'll get?" Winter asks through the open jaws of his mask. "Ha," Kang laughed, "Your shadow. Has become one with darkness. As deep as darkness... That's how strong you'll become," Kang explained with his last breath. Drooping down.

~>System<{" [Emergency Quest: Kill The Enemy] Has Been Completed! [Quest Rewards: Select your rewards] Claim Rewards From List Below. [Reward 1]. Ability Points (+5). 2]. [Rune Stone: Stealth]. 3] [Skill: Spirit Cleave]. Do you Accept Rewards? [Y N],"}>it displayed before Winter<~< p>

 "Without a doubt, I've become much more powerful than before, but for some reason... I feel like a part of me is being destroyed and rebuilt every time I get stronger," Winter thought, his mask melting away to show his burnt eyes and face. Veins popped from his face that seemed to have spread from his eyes, "Winter, Thank you," the healer praised, as Winter lifted his hoodie over his head, "Thanks Winter. If it weren't for you, we'd both be dead by now," David smiled gratefully at Winter.