The old knife is just a nickname, and the old man's real name is Zenis.

"The Tooth of the Sea Serpent", Zenis.

It is said that he was once a skilled swordsman and even worked as a pirate for a while. Later, he voluntarily left the pirate group, but paid the price of one eye. As for more secrets, the old man didn't say anything, and no one dared to ask.

Now that he is old and frail, his strength should not be as good as before, but it is enough to ensure that the copper compass can gain a foothold in the dock area where dragons and snakes are mixed. It gradually became one of the largest taverns in the area, and also served as a hotel, a brothel, and a casino.

At the end of the hallway, by the wooden door, the knife-carrying guard was chatting. Allegri's gaze was closed at the touch of a button, and he did not dare to look more. According to his guess, it was the entrance to the underground casino, and perhaps where Beverly went to work.

He pushed the door open into the backyard, bypassed the semi-open stables, and the piles of firewood and grass, and arrived at the hut where Zenith lived.

Hearing Allegri's footsteps, the hunchbacked old man, who was chopping wood, glanced up at him and asked coldly, "Something?"

"Uh...... No. When it came to this, Allegri didn't know how to speak. He was carrying the bottle of amber wine, and he was in a dilemma.

The scraps of the nearby shipyard, the old man stepped on the straight with his feet, raised the knife in his hand, and slammed it twice, and the wood was divided into four even pieces. Allegri didn't say, he didn't ask, he just went on with the job at hand, Mance organized, but with an indescribable fluency.

"Senior, your knife skills are good. After another moment, seeing the old man getting up with a rusty wood knife and wanting to leave, Allegri hurriedly leaned over and accosted him clumsily.

"Not a bad fart," the old man scolded with a merciless spit. "If you have something to say, don't grind, like a. ”

"Senpai, I'll invite you to drink. Allegri laughed.

"Do you know what kind of wine this is?" the old man glanced at and stopped.

"Tower...... Ram?" Allegri held the bottle up and recited the words on the nameplate. Oddly enough. It was not a continental lingua franca, but some ancient magical language, and he really wouldn't have recognized it without the special training of Teacher Herseus.

"Huh?" Zenis was stunned for a moment, and finally looked at Allegri with his eyes, "Do you know what that means?"

"Time, or time, in a word, is a rather abstract conceptual noun. "Allegri isn't very sure.

"yes. Time," the old man sighed, and then beckoned, "Come in." ”

The low wooden house, the small round windows, the hammocks woven with cables, and the furnishings in the room give Allegri a neat feel. It's like a cabin, and it seems like you can hear it when you close your eyes. The sound of the ebb and flow of the tide.

"Sit. Zenis removed the knife hanging on the wall and said casually.

However, Allegri searched for a long time, but could not find a seat, so he could only sit carefully in the hammock.

The old man inserted the tip of his knife into the cork, and with a clap of his hand, he pried open the bottle. He doesn't use cups either. He just drank it in his mouth, and after a while, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Since you know Talam." You should be a mage or a scholar, why did you end up on the docks as a coolie?"

"Don't hide it from my predecessors, I was indeed a mage before I went down," Allegri hesitated for a moment, but replied truthfully, "but he was killed by a traitor, and now he is not even a mage of the First Ring." ”

"So you want to learn a knife from me?" Zenis stared at him with one eye, "and cut off the enemy's head?"

"I'm afraid it's difficult," Allegri shook his head with a wry smile, "I asked my seniors to learn martial arts, not to take revenge, but to live a better life, at least I don't have to carry my bag every day." ”

Hearing this, Zenith was stunned for a moment, and then sneered, "Since that's the case, then what are you learning knives for, to learn a craft." ”

"It's easy to find a job," Allegri replied honestly, "I just went to the mercenary guild to inquire, a mid-level martial artist can earn two gold coins in half a month." ”

"Intermediate, do you think it's that easy?" the old man didn't finish speaking, he suddenly struck, pointed into a knife, and slashed diagonally.

After the transformation of the "Bright Godhead", Allegri not only increased his physical strength, but also greatly accelerated his reaction speed, and he reached out to block.

The old man was slightly surprised, and with a bend of his elbow, he still slashed at the other party. Allegri, however, only shook his body and did not even feel pain.

"You punch me. Zenis walked around him, occasionally pinching his muscles, as if to confirm something, and then, making such a ridiculous request.

"Huh?" Allegri thought he had misheard.

"Punch me, and I won't fight back," the old man repeated, holding his palm on his chest and promised, "If you can force me to retreat, I will pass on your martial arts." ”

Is it to test his talents?" thought Allegri as he stood still and began to move his muscles.

"Hurry up. Seeing that he was still warming up, Zenis urged impatiently.

Allegri retracted his punches and threw a punch. The fists and palms intersected, and there was a muffled sound, and the old man only felt a huge force coming, and he moved involuntarily.

It was only a few centimeters, but Zenis had no intention of denying it, he poured another sip of wine called "Time", and commanded, "Well, from tomorrow onwards, at seven o'clock every night, you will come to me." ”

******

After leaving work at six o'clock, I went back to the tavern for a bite to eat and a glass of ale, which happened to be around seven o'clock.

Seeing that Allegri was still full of energy after carrying the bag for a day, Zenis nodded with satisfaction, "It seems that you are indeed very talented, not only with the strength and reflexes of a mid-level warrior, but also with outstanding endurance and recovery ability. ”

"Teacher, where do we start?" Allegri changed his name, he naturally would not say the existence of the "Light Godhead", and even if he did, Zenis would not believe it.

"Chopping wood," said the old man, who threw the firewood knife to him casually, while he sat aside, and demanded, "you first finish chopping this pile of firewood, and divide it into four, each of which must be almost the same size." ”

Allegri nodded and leaned over to chop wood.

The rusty wood knife is not sharp, but Allegri has brute strength, and even if he smashes it, he can smash the wood open. Zenis looked at it for a moment, then reprimanded, "Do you think it's iron? With a knife, don't stop halfway. ”

Allegri did what he did according to the law, and seeing him squinting his eyes to distinguish the texture, the old man got up, took off the wind lamp under the eaves, and hung it on a nearby pillar.

I don't know what kind of lamp oil was used. The fire was bright, and Allegri was in this light, chopping wood for an hour.

"It's time to practice wielding. Zenis muttered as he walked over and picked up a piece of dry wood.

******

It wasn't until eleven o'clock in the evening that Allegri, with sore arms, went back to the house to rest.

On the stairs, he meets Beverly, who is wearing heavy makeup, and estimates that it will be time for her to go to work.

"What are you doing?" the woman stopped him. asked.

"Go to the old knife and ask for a few hands. Allegri replied casually that he could not hide it, and he did not need to hide it.

"Just your size?" Beverly scoffed habitually, but soon remembered, "I forgot, you're a Hercules, aren't you, Mr. Igo?"

"I didn't lie to you. My full name is Igo Allegri. Hearing the displeasure in her tone, Allegri explained. Speaking of which, there are only three people who know his real name. That's Zanava, the street mage, the big man Logan, and the nightingale Beverly in front of him.

"All right, Igo. Beverly touched his chest and smiled, "If I don't have any business tonight, can you show me your strength?"

Seeing that almost her whole person was going to be pasted. Allegri scratched his head in embarrassment and quickly fled, with Beverly's smug laughter behind him.

It's better to move out as soon as possible, so as not to get into any trouble, but in that case, it will be inconvenient to learn from Zenis. Allegri was caught between a rock and a hard place. He pushed the door open, and Simba, the big dog who watched the house, pounced on him, wagging his tail affectionately, and after getting acquainted with it, it was not as cold as before.

"I'm so tired, Simba. Allegri touched its head and lay down on the bed. When he practiced swinging his knife, Zenis directly suppressed him with his strength, which was heavier than tying a sandbag.

This old man's strength is really strong, and he can last so long. It was only when he lay down, Allegri thought, that the feeling of soreness rose like a tidal wave, washing over every corner of his body.

The big dog spiritually pushed his head to the door and fell back into the corner. Allegri fell asleep quickly, leaving only the "Godhead of Light" and tirelessly helping him recover.

******

Sleep is indeed a good medicine, and when he wakes up the next day, Allegri is relaxed and refreshed.

He called out to the big dog, went for a not rich but full breakfast, and then went to the docks to start the day's work.

This is also his only source of income at the moment.

"Coming?" Vane greeted him. This yellow-faced man, who lives in a shanty town on the side of the bay, still holds half an uneaten piece of bread in his hand.

"Brother Vane. Allegri nodded. Unlike him, Vane had three children to support, so at dawn he would go to the fish market to help, and then rush to the docks without even bothering to eat breakfast.

"Assemble, assemble!" Barron's voice rang out, and the merchant ships began to enter the harbor.

Allegri ran to the other end of the causeway, along with a wolfing Vain. The white banner is embroidered with a small sky blue flower, which must be the emblem of a trading house.

"Alas, it's a little blue flower again. The people next to him sighed, but Allegri was a little dazed.

"This is the emblem of the largest trading house in the north, 'Cornflower', they are famous mining magnates, and it is said that they have a lot of business dealings with the big merchants of the Torm Federation. Wayne introduced.

"That's right," Allegri nodded, casually asking, "but how come I haven't seen a merchant ship from the mainland these days?" ”

"In the past, Thorm's merchant ships would come to Thran every quarter, and their emblem seemed to be a flower," Vane shrugged, "On the fifteenth of last month, they were supposed to arrive in port, but they didn't arrive for a long time, and it was said that there was a fight over there, so they wouldn't send any more merchant ships......"

"Xiaohua? It should be the 'Sea Flower' business lord. Allegri speculated that the "Sea Flower" and the "Flywheel" were both one of the six major merchants, but there was constant friction with each other, and he had heard Grande mention it.

"Yes, it's the 'Flower of the Sea'," he reminded Vane as well, "I heard the sailors say that their whalebone ship is close to the performance of the 'Magic Energy Sailing'. ”

"Will Natheran's ship go to the mainland?" Allegri asked subconsciously, even though he tried his best to avoid it, but deep down, he still wanted to go back.

"Why do you want to go?" Vane asked in confusion, "We don't lack anything, why do we go through all the hardships and dangers to do business with mainlanders?"

"Yes. Allegri agreed, but sighed in his heart. How to cross this sea of thousands of miles?

The sea is surging, the merchant ships are docking, and the busy day has begun again.

******

"Your body is considered to be mid-level, but your martial arts are still not in the stream," Sitting on the hay pile, Zenis said in a deep voice, "With your qualifications, it is not difficult to reach the beginner or even intermediate level, but if you want to generate energy and promote to the higher rank, it is ten times more difficult than others." ”

"Why, teacher?" Allegri asked, looking up as he chopped wood. After a week of training, he has become a journeyman. A knife is cut through the top of the firewood, and it is evenly cut in half. The second knife came out, and four pieces of wood fell, which he picked up casually and threw aside.

"Only by knowing your body well and completely controlling every muscle can you gradually generate qi and sublimate your martial arts," Zennis explained, "but your strength is too strong, and you don't have that bit of tempering process, and you can only feel it if you work harder." ”

Allegri wanted to say that the mid-tier was enough, he had to recover his magic power after all, and martial arts were just a means. But thinking of the old man's stinky temper, he still swallowed this sentence wisely and said, "Teacher, don't worry, I will do my best." ”

"Okay," Zennis said with satisfaction, "if you continue like this, your martial arts will definitely be able to shine, and maybe in twenty years, you will become the first legendary martial artist in the history of Therland." ”

Allegri smiled disapprovingly. On the other side of the stable, Simba, the big dog, barked twice, it was bored.

"Don't disturb him, you brute," beckoned Zenis, jumping off the haystack, "Come, I'll take you out for a walk." ”

The big dog looked at Allegri, and when he nodded in agreement, he followed the old man out.

Not long after, in the sound of footsteps, Beverly shook over with a wooden basin, curiously stopping to watch.

"What are you looking at?" Allegri snorted as she looked at her.

"Yo, our Mr. Swordsman, he has a pretty big temper," Beverly sneered, "but this is the first time I've seen a swordsman who chops wood every day." ”

Knowing that she didn't have good words, Allegri's face darkened, and he didn't bother to pay attention to it.

… (To be continued......)

PS: (Update!Update!)