New Skills

"FANG!" Jack's voice echoed through the pocket dimension as he dashed everywhere in search of his mentor. The fight had gone incredible well in large part thanks to Fang's training. However, Jack had been left with a ton of questions after everything that had happened at the arena. Not the least of which was what the hell was the deal with their summoner.

"Oh Jack! Did the fight go well mon?" Fang's Jamaican accent rolled smoothly, seemingly out of thin air as he appeared next to Jack overlooking the boneyard. This had become something of a meeting place for them at some point. The view was the best in the pocket dimension, and Jack still felt called to it for reason's he couldn't explain. He thought obtaining the bandages and evolving would have ended that pull, but since he returned from the outside world it seemed stronger than ever.

"Ya went peachy. Hey did you know our summoners name was Sam?" It was hardly the most important question on Jack's mind right now yet it was the one that slipped out first. Fang chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his skull absently.

"Aye mon. Does it really matter, mon?" He asked hesitantly.

"Nah, I was just curious." Jack shot back before things got too awkward.

"Fwew, I was worried you'd be upset mon. Don't scare a mon like that." Fang thought a moment before speaking up again. "I'm under oath by Sam's mother to not reveal any of Sam's secrets. That includes, Sam's name should someone not already know it as silly as that sounds mon."

Jack nodded understandingly. He had expected something along those lines by this point. Fang was incredibly powerful for someone who was just a student to have as a summon. Jack couldn't deny he wouldn't be even close to where he was now if it wasn't for Fang however. He couldn't help but be grateful for over protective mothers for that very reason.

A soft breeze blew by carrying hints of soft whispers as they sat there in silence for a time. Being undead in a pocket dimension had its perks. A distinct lack of impatience being amongst them. Jack had vague memories of the human rush of society from his previous life and wished he had've spent more time to just enjoy some peace and quiet back then. He wondered briefly if goblin society suffered the same fate as humans as he stared at his tiny skeletal hands. He looked up to see Fang staring down at him and started in embarrassment.

"Fang, why are you training me?" He knew the answer. Hell, he was the one who asked to be trained. But Fang could have said no. He was just an undead goblin after all. No one would be out of line expecting nothing from him. Fang chuckled warmly at Jack's obvious discomfort.

"Is it that hard to figure out mon?" It was a fair question, there were a dozen reasons. But only a few made sense.

"Because Sam asked you to." He replied without hesitation. Fang snorted derisively much to Jack's surprise however.

"Don't get me wrong mon, that was was part of it. But, you had to want it yourself first." Jack looked at Fang with a new sense of respect at his response.

"I won't waste my time on someone who doesn't even want to take the first step, mon." He pointed his chin in the direction of the boneyard as he went on.

"That field is full of plenty of souls that didn't have the will to go on. Some I tried to help, others I did not, mon. I could tear myself up over what if I had helped those I did not or leave those I did. But that is the past mon. Learning from the past is important, sure. But what matter is the future and what we intend to do today for that future." He smiled that same creepy smile every skeleton gave when they tried to smile.

"Ya took the step mon. So, I helped. Now look how far you've gotten."

Jack nodded with that terrifying skeletal goblin smile. Fang was right. He had taken that step. Despite everything he had asked. And, even after Fang had begun guiding him, he had still made his own choices and taken more steps beyond that. No amount of training from Fang would have made a difference if he hadn't kept taking his own steps on top of it.

"So Sam knew I would win then?" Jack asked. It had been bothering him after all. His last summon had resulted in him being utterly defeated by a rotting sewer rat. What kind of thought process went from rat chew toy to elemental destroyer.

"Of course not, mon However, I have no doubt Sam highly suspected you would win. You think our summoner doesn't track our progress when we're training." He chuckled a wry chuckle shaking his head as he did so.

"Even had Sam not highly suspected it, our Master would not have willingly entered a duel that wasn't a sure win. Sam was taught by this centuries greatest necromancer. The students in this school cant even hold a candle to that, mon."

Jack looked down embarrassed by his own lack of faith in their Summoner. He knew he was new to to this and all, but Fang's faith in Sam seemed so immutable.

"Come mon. Let's continue with some training to ease your doubts." Jack blanched. At this rate the other skeletons were gonna start asking what he used to bleach his bones with. He could picture his response now. 'Oh, I just use Ode' de Flambe of Fang.' His bones were already aching at the mere mention of it.

"I uh, hardly think that's necessary. I mean, I'm still recovering from my last fight. That fire elemental really took it out of me after all." Jack chuffed nervously as he tried to slink away.

"Nonsense, mon!" Fang grinned evilly as a black flame spouted above his outstretched hand. "If that were true then that means I haven't been training you hard enough, mon." Fang laughed maniacally as the flame suddenly got bigger. "Besides, we need to test out those new skills of yours, I never did get to test out that new evolution of yours either mon."

Jack gulped loudly as the now goblin sized flame rushed towards him like a flash flood of fire. He used Shadow Dash hoping to get out of dodge in time, but still managed to get clipped by the edge of the flames. He was sent flying as pain flowed through every fiber of his being.

Jack was barely keeping the pain at bay through shear force of will when Fang spoke up with a wicked grin. "By the way mon. I 'm loving your new fashion accessory, you have there. Very chic, mon." Fang chuckled as second blast of black fore sent the embarrassed, Jack flying a second time.

His Berserk skill triggered as he landed instantly numbing the pain ad boosting his physical stats. It was exactly what Fang had been hoping for in taunting the goblin. He had yet to see his Berserk ability and had hoped to trigger it with a taunt about the pink bow.

Jack dashed around the edge with the aid of his new bandage enhanced joints as the slightest hint of a blue spark began to form in his eye sockets. Fang held back his shocked reaction at that sight and immediately activated his AOE flame blast like he had their previous session. Things ended differently this time however as Jack dug his clawed hand into the ground stopping himself from being flung further away, and still managing to keep his body intact thanks to the bandage wraps.

"Impressive, mon. I used nearly ten times more power with that blast. That is incredible progress since our last fight mon. I see that real combat with another foe has also increased your combat sense as well, mon." The fact was Fang was more than impressed. He was terrified. He said he had used nearly ten times more power, when in reality he had used around thirty times more.

It hadn't been on purpose, but rather a reflexive reaction to the sparks in Jacks eye sockets. Those were a Death Knight trait. That wasn't something an undead goblin had ever obtained. It was generally accepted knowledge that only undead of the larger races were capable of such a feat. Even human undead were rarely capable of reaching it. Jack should have been blown to dust by that blast. Yet here he was perfectly fine despite Fang's mistake.

Jack smiled as a new notification popped up from the fight prompting him to pull up his status window again.

[Skill Unlocked: Pain Resistance]

[Automatically Resist The Effects of Extreme Pain]

Name: Pet (Jack)

Type: Undead

Sub-Type: Skeleton

Species: Goblin

Title: Raggedy Goblin Skeleton

Class: NA

Grade: E-

Skills: Jerry-rigged, Inspect, Berserk, Shadow Dash, Pain Resistance

Attacks: Bone Claw, Bone Mallet

Jack was pleased, it seemed using his different skills in new innovative ways in combat could unlock new skills. That had the potential to open up many new paths for him. Additionally he had added two unique attacks to his character sheet.

But, perhaps best off all was he had finally lost the trash grade he had held up til now. He sat down next to Fang with a please expression on his face as they took some time to rest, with the towering Oni looming over the goblin like two ivory gargoyles of death.

They both sat there in silence for a time enjoying the peace until Jack remembered one of his other questions.

"Oh ya, I nearly forgot. What the hell is the deal with this?" He asked, holding up the candy, clearly agitated. Fang's eye sockets went wide, and Jack got the impression he would've been licking his lips if he had either of the necessary parts.

"That's a skill candy. Didn't you check it with your Inspection skill, mon?" Jack's eyes widened at that. He wasn't sure if others had such abilities so he hadn't said anything about it. Not to mention it had proved to be a rather useless ability last time he had used it. Needless to say he used it now and was shocked by what he saw.

[Skill Candy]

[Provides Designated Summon With Random Pertinent Skill]

It was powerful! His skills had already changed so much for him, multiplying his strength by multiple levels in the right circumstances. Adding another skill to his belt with little more than a piece of candy was an incredible boon. He really wasn't sure how it would work without intestines but he hoped for the best and chucked it into his mouth.

Jacks eyes widened as the candy melted instantly. He could feel a warm sensation flow where he imagined a goblins intestines must be as it spread through every fiber of his being. His grin widened as a notification popped up and he read his new skill.

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