Dobbin noticed Feng Yongrui's line of sight and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you interested?" he asked.
Feng Yongrui wanted to say 'no', because he actually wasn't the type of person who liked fighting or violence. He preferred to make a thousand preparations in advance and solve problems with his wits...
It wasn't that he hated violence, it was just that...
Feng Yongrui felt a slight pain in his forehead as he remembered his past back on Earth. His deepest, darkest moments seemed to reveal themselves inside his mind, like a rotten flower that bloomed in the darkness, showing off its unpleasant odor and opening up old wounds...
There was a time, when he was young... and he actually liked violence. In fact, he craved it. He enjoyed it. Feng Yongrui remembered that time and wanted to shudder.
When he was younger, Feng Yongrui still remembered that he was good at fighting. When someone made him angry, he would lightly grab the person's arm and twist it viciously, all the while smiling and spitting out words like knives...
Feng Yongrui knew that feeling... The feeling of power and anger and a heart that craved violence and blood...
He used to be like that. But after 'that' incident, and a few more small incidents... he gradually changed and became more solemn, more calm... Now days, if someone were to bully him or say mean things, he wouldn't react much.
In fact, whenever the System teased or made fun of him, Feng Yongrui was upset, but he did not want to really get 'angry'. Because if he did... he was afraid of reverting back to his old self and going back to the days when he was nothing more than a tyrannical wolf.
So, when he saw Dobbin playing around with those knives, Feng Yongrui felt like a small claw was scratching the surface of his heart, making him annoyed and flustered. Especially when Dobbin looked at him with those provocative eyes and asked him if he was interested.
Was he interested? Deep down, of course he was.
In the first world, when he saw his two disciples advancing their sword skills, Feng Yongrui was tempted to work hard, hone his own skills, and then use them. But, he was afraid. Afraid of getting out of control and enjoying himself too much...
Feng Yongrui focused on Dobbin's face and opened his mouth.
"No, I'm not interested," he said hesitantly.
He wasn't lying, he convinced himself. He hadn't had the urge to fight or the cravings for violence for a long time now. He had changed.
Dobbin looked at Feng Yongrui's face that showed his conflicting emotions and chuckled. Without a hint of hesitation, Dobbin flung out his daggers, accurately piercing the wall on the sides of Feng Yongrui's face.
Feng Yongrui only heard the whistling of the wind and a swish as the daggers landed, one on his left and one on his right. A strange feeling of envy brewed inside his heart.
When he was younger, sure, he was good at fighting, but it wasn't exactly fighting. It was more like beating people up and making them cry. He was, in no way, a professional fighter.
When he saw Dobbin's accurate movements, Feng Yongrui felt a twinge of jealousy. He also... wanted to be able to do this...
No, no, what was he thinking about? Feng Yongrui shook his head and steadied his thoughts. He couldn't forget his main mission in this world.
"Kid, didn't you say that you wanted to repay the Boss for saving your life?" Dobbin raised an eyebrow.
"You're really weird. You obviously know that the Boss is the leader of the Enigma Guild. Don't you know what kind of guild we are? We're assassins! If you're not interested in daggers, how are you going to become an assassin?"
"Don't tell me you're going to use a sword like those knights," he scoffed.
"Uhh..." Thinking about it that way, Dobbin's words made sense, Feng Yongrui thought.
He had been too distracted just now. What was wrong with him recently? Feng Yongrui adjusted his mental state and looked at Dobbin with a new fire in his eyes.
"You're right. I've changed my mind, I'm interested in those daggers. Teach me!" he quickly said.
Dobbin: ???
"...You changed your mind that fast? Hahaha, I don't mind this change of pace~" he grinned.
Dobbin was a lively person, but when he was teaching Feng Yongrui about knife throwing, his entire demeanor changed and his face was serious.
Feng Yongrui had to admit that while this person was a cheeky person, when he became serious, he was actually a good teacher.
For starters, Dobbin explained that the "daggers" he was holding weren't actually daggers.
"These are throwing knives," he explained. "Daggers and throwing knives are slightly different, so don't get them mixed up. A dagger is used to stab someone during close combat, but a throwing knife has been made specifically to be thrown, so the balance is already carefully crafted."
Dobbin then further explained that throwing knives actually varied from person to person, because a person's skill, strength, and grip were different from one person to another.
What kind of blade you wanted also varied from person to person, you might want a slightly curved blade, a straight one, or a blade with a particular design. Dobbin's blade was a straight one.
However, because of a lack of money, some people did not have enough budget to buy a custom-made throwing knife, so they bought one that was a pretty standard model for themselves.
Of course, Dobbin did not forget to brag and declare that his throwing knives were "custom-made and ordered by the Boss himself". When Feng Yongrui tried to hold Dobbin's knives, he realized that it was slightly to big for him, but he didn't say anything.
Dobbin also explained the various parts of the throwing knife -- the tip, the cheek, the guard, and the handle. He also explained that the key to throwing a knife was weight and balance, explaining that the rotation of the knife was determined by its balance...
Dobbin moved to Feng Yongrui's side and fixed his position and posture.
"Use your right hand," he directed. "Tuck in those elbows, yes, like that. You have to move your arm like this," he explained.
"You can't swing your arm like how you're throwing a ball into the air, no. If you do that you can't control the direction of the knife. Tsk, you're so stiff."
"That's not how you hold the knife! You hold the handle like this, this is the simplest kind of grip, you know. It's something that only kids like you will do."
"This is called the hammer grip. No, don't pinch it like that, if you move your finger like that then you're doing a different kind of grip."
Feng Yongrui was bombarded with directions and instructions as Dobbin bustled around him, fixing his position from time to time. When his position was finally correct, Dobbin handed him the knife and pointed at the wooden mannequin in front of him.
"Alright, that one is your target. You can hit it anywhere you want. As long as you hit it, then I'll consider it as you pass."
Feng Yongrui looked at the target, aimed for the chest area, and threw the knife just as Dobbin had taught him. The knife flew through the air, rotating at a fast speed and landing with a loud 'thud'.
Feng Yongrui looked at where the knife had landed and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The knife had landed on the wooden mannequin's head, right in the middle. The blade was stuck fast into the mannequin.
Dobbin, who had been standing by Feng Yongrui's side all this time, couldn't help clicking his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk~ As expected, you're really a vicious child~" he teased.
Feng Yongrui felt a strange heat creeping up his cheeks and realized that he was blushing. He didn't mean to hit the target on the head like that...
Dobbin sighed and opened his mouth. "Anyway, teaching you is a tiring thing, I don't' think I want to do it again," he grumbled.
Feng Yongrui raised his eyebrow. "You're just teaching me the basics and then leaving me hanging?" he asked, sounding aggrieved.
Dobbin shrugged his shoulders. "Who asked you to be so difficult to teach? Other people will learn faster than you. Your speed is too slow, I think it's better to wait and ask the Boss to assign a specific teacher for you, a teacher who can handle your slowness~"
Feng Yongrui's face was turning darker and darker. This person was really... asking to be punched.
Ever since he came to this world, Feng Yongrui had felt himself becoming stranger and stranger. His usually passive attitude was slowly washing away and he had this urge to beat this man up. What was wrong with him?
Feng Yongrui convinced himself that this was probably Dobbin's fault. After all, this guy kept provoking and teasing him.
***