The shopping trip was uneventful. We used up almost all the leftover money to buy food, a couple of books, and new clothes for me which I will change to later.
The books are honestly the most interesting thing we got. One of them was an introduction to handyman work, something to help me with fixing around the hotel. The second book was an introduction to Magic.
I honestly didn't know if I can even use it, since in Fairy Tail most people are born without the ability to use Magic, but even then it could help me learn a few things.
After placing the food and clothes in a secure, clean place, me and Jugram stood in the backyard of the hotel, which like the front yard needed serious gardening.
"Alright, so what should we start with?" I asked, placing my hands on my waist.
"First and foremost, we must help you gain the ability to sense Spiritual Energy," Jugram started explaining. "Your Schrift should make this easy for you. Do you remember the feeling you had when his majesty gave you his blessing?"
"It's kind of hard to forget that feeling," I replied.
You can't exactly forget the moment you became 'complete'.
"I want you to focus on a feeling similar to that. I will be concentrating my Spiritual Energy to 'poke' at you, for the lack of better term," Jugram explained before he narrowed his eyes slightly.
I immediately began trying to feel anything on me. At first, there was nothing, but after about a few second, I began feeling it. It was like... a piece of cloth softly brushing me from Jugram's direction.
"I-I feel it," I told him.
"Good," Jugram nodded. "Now, instead of 'poking' you, I will adjust my Spiritual Energy to a level you can feel it."
Jugram narrowed his eyes. I focused on the sensation from before, and I felt it almost immediately. However, instead of a piece of cloth brushing me like before, it felt like a sledgehammer hitting me on the head, and arms, legs... and everything, really.
"Gah!" I fell into my knees from the sheer pain.
Just like that, the pain was gone. "Apologies. I tried to adjust my Spiritual Energy to a level where someone like you can feel it without being harmed. I should have gone for a lower level," Jugram said as I tried to regain my bearings.
Breathing hard, I slowly stood back up and waved off his apology. "It's... alright..." I said between breaths, wiping sweat off my forehead.
"I want you to focus on the feeling you had and only focus on it for the next five minutes," Jugram instructed. "Quincy are far superior than Shinigami and Hollows when it comes to sensing Spiritual Energy. For us, learning how to do it passively takes two days of training, at most. But, with your Schrift, five minutes should be sufficient to learn how to sense Spiritual Energy as a second nature."
"Alright," I closed my and tried to tone out any background noise to make sure to focus on only the feeling.
It was there again, but not painful, thankfully. Over the next few seconds, I started feeling stuff other than the brushing of Jugram's power. There was soft brushes from all around, but they felt... more distant. Like the cloths from them was being stretched.
I guess those are the people around town.
One thing that stood out was an empty spot between the brushing. From the direction of the second floor of the hotel, I couldn't feel anything at all. It didn't take me long to realise that it was probably Yhwach.
He's probably just sitting around and I'm still too weak to sense anything from his direction.
That fits, yeah.
For a few minutes, I just kept feeling around. When I believed five minutes had passed, I stopped focusing on the feeling. The brushing was still there, without me trying to find it, but felt like my range was shortened since there was less feeling than before.
Makes sense that you would feel more when you're putting effort into sensing.
"Good work," Jugram praised with a satisfied nod. "Now, the second lesson is to teach you Blut. It will also help you be able to know how to use the Spiritual Energy inside you."
"Alright... How do I do that?" I asked.
"Focus on the feeling from before, but try to push it through your veins," Jugram instructed.
I nodded and scrunched my face trying to push that feeling through my body. Honestly, I did it so hard I was worried I would pop a blood vessel, but, suddenly, a new feeling came in.
It was a refreshing gentle cold in my body through my veins. Looking down, I can see a blue pattern matching my veins glowing on my hand. I lot go of that feeling and my hand was back to normal.
"Now that your body experienced Blut, it should activate on its own whenever you're in danger. However, do know that instinctive activation is not as strong as intentional activation," Jugram stated, watching over me.
"Right, makes sense," I nodded.
"For the final thing I'll teach you today, you'll need this," Jugram held up his hand and dangled a bracelet with a five pointed cross. Taking hold of it, I wore it on my right wrist. "You should be incredibly grateful to his majesty for creating this for you. You will need it to create your Heilig Bogen."
"And how do I do that?" I noticed I ask that question a lot lately.
Is it a byproduct of my Schrift to be curious on how things work?
Jugram raised his hand. His wrist began glowing and a bow slowly formed with the string coming to existence next. "You use your own Spiritual Energy, using the cross as a medium, and use it as a form of magnet to gather the surrounding Spiritual Energy, which this world seems full of, and visual a bow within your hand."
"Oh, that's probably the magic rich air. It's probably similar to Spiritual Energy in a sense," I stated before I remembered something. "Hey, wait a minute. How did you do that? I thought you were a Quincy that can't gather surrounding Spiritual Energy."
"That's because I completely created this from my own personal Spiritual Energy," Jugram held his bow forward and I noticed it looked like it could collapse any moment. "Beyond being a mere light trick, it can only fire one shot. I used it to pass the test as a 'Magician', as you instructed."
"Ah, I see," I nodded, remembering that I did tell him and the others to just give a lightshow. "Alright," I held my hand up and focused on the bracelet.
It didn't take long for the five pointed cross to begin glowing. Slowly, Energy started gathering from around and I began visualising a bow. However, as soon as I did, the Energy that gathered popped like a balloon.
"What the hell!?" I yelled as I looked at bracelet with confusion.
Did I do something wrong? No. My Schrift makes sure that I get the first try right all the time. Is it the Magical energy in the air? If so, then why didn't the same happen to Jugram.
"I was afraid of this," I turned to Jugram as he spoke. Seeing my confused face, he began explaining. "The problem here lies with your own Spiritual Energy. As a newly born Quincy, your Spiritual Energy level is lacking. Without sufficient Spiritual Energy, properly creating a Heilig Bogen is simply not possible because you cannot hold together Spiritual Weapons without a proper construct."
"Oh, so... the support on a bridge? Even if you build a bridge right with good materials, it won't matter if the support is made from shabby ones?" I guessed.
Jugram nodded. "Yes. Quincy use their own Spiritual Energy to hold together the constructs they make from the surrounding Spiritual Energy. Without sufficient Spiritual Energy, it's not likely to happen. Unfortunately for you, Spiritual Energy isn't something you can learn, so your Schrift will not help you in that regard. You will have to train it with constant stress, which is why I want you to keep trying to make a Heilig Bogen, even if we know it won't work."
"Ah, alright," I nodded his head before looking at him nervously. "You're not, uh, gonna try to kill me, are you?"
Jugram raised an eyebrow at me. "For what reason would I do that?"
"You know, stress of danger or something helps build up Spiritual Energy?" I said, shrugging my shoulders.
If I remember correctly, Urahara said that life or death situations, or at least really dangerous situations, can help Spiritual Energy develop. I really hope Jugram doesn't plan to do something like that.
Much to my relief, Jugram shook his head. "While that is a practical method, you would not survive. The strength of Blut relies on your Spiritual Energy, and with how weak yours is, you would not live through one spar. His majesty does not desire your death yet," I couldn't help but sigh in relief, but I had obviously relaxed too soon. "Once your Spiritual Energy reaches an acceptable level, we will enter such a training regime."
Oh, so he IS planning to pull the Urahara method, just not yet?
Soul King, this is becoming typical.