Chapter 230 - A STRONG SCENT OF VINEGAR

AFTER buying Mana fruits for Eclipse, the three went directly to the specialized merchandize shop. It didn't take too long because it was near the Pet Supply Store they were just in. Eclipse was sitting comfortably on Luo Yan's shoulder, his three fluffy tails almost acting like a scarf. He was nibbling on a black fruit, his cheeks bulging like some squirrel. That was already his second fruit. If he's not a virtual entity, he would certainly have indigestion with the speed he's eating.

Shen Ji Yun looked at the fox eating comfortably on Luo Yan's shoulder. He actually wanted to lift him up and let him eat on his shoulder. What if Luo Yan got tired because he's dangling on his shoulder like that? But, unexpectedly, after Luo Yan gave Eclipse a Mana fruit, he refused to jump back to his arms again.

If Shen Ji Yun knew the reason why, his face would definitely turn black. It was simply because Eclipse didn't want fruit crumbles to fall on Shen Ji Yun's clothes. That's why he was now sticking to his master. The obvious difference in treatment was really toothache inducing.

When they entered the specialized merchandize shop, it didn't take long before an NPC approached them. Luo Yan didn't waste time and told the male NPC what he was looking for. The NPC led them straight to the second floor where all kinds of vehicles and water vessels were displayed. Of course, they were not really displayed there, only their holographic model. 

Luo Yan walked towards the water vessels and looked at the boats and other similar types. The more expensive, the more beautiful and exquisite the designs of the vessels were. Although they could pass his standard, for some reason, he was still unsatisfied with them. 

"Are these all the available vessels here?" he asked the NPC.

"Yes, dear customer," the NPC answered. "If none of these are to your liking, we could customize one for you."

What the NPC added actually caught Luo Yan's interest. If he could customize the boats, he could also add the soon-to-be symbol of Yuexing Pavilion – the one he was planning Yu Jiao to design. Speaking of Yu Jiao, maybe he could also ask her if she could design a boat for him. 

"Customize?" 

"Yes, dear customer. You just have to give us the design you want and we could make it for you in no time."

"If I say I wanted five customized boats, how long will it take for to be finished?" Luo Yan asked.

"Only a day, dear customer."

Luo Yan nodded, very satisfied with that answer. There's still five days before the opening night. If Yu Jiao agreed to his request, there's still plenty of time to deliver the invitations and order the boats. If she didn't agree, then he would just proceed to plan B. Though he had a feeling that she would definitely agree, no matter how reluctant she might feel. 

"Thank you. I'll come back again tomorrow," he said to the NPC before turning to Shen Ji Yun. "Let's go, Brother Ji Yun?"

The other nodded and they both walked towards the stairs. They climbed down and walked out of the store.

"Do you already have a design for the boat?" Shen Ji Yun asked when they finally walked out of the store. That's the only reason he could think of on why Luo Yan didn't buy anything and instead said that he would come back tomorrow.

"Not yet. But I'm planning to ask a friend of mine if she could design one for me," Luo Yan honestly answered. "She's also the one I'm planning to ask to design the symbol that would represent Yuexing Pavilion. The one that I would put on the invitations I'm planning to send out."

He already told Shen Ji Yun about his plan of sending invitations to various well-known players in the game. So, he already knew what he meant by invitations.

An imperceptible frown appeared on Shen Ji Yun's handsome face. Knowing Luo Yan's situation, this 'friend' could only be someone he met when he came back to school. So, someone he knew for just half a month. 

"Is this person reliable?" he couldn't help but say.

"Yes, she's very talented. Her name is Yu Jiao. I once saw a drawing of hers. It's a design of a sword. The drawing was very detailed, from its appearance to the materials that should be used to make it. Because those materials could only be found in Arcadia, it's easy to guess that she's probably a Blacksmith here," Luo Yan explained. "I actually wanted to ask her to make a weapon for me, but I still haven't had the chance. Hopefully, before the start of the Rookie Carnival, we would be close enough that she wouldn't feel burdened if I asked her to make a weapon for me."

The word 'close' seemingly hit Shen Ji Yun. And he couldn't help but feel a little bit annoyed. Imagining this faceless 'friend' and Luo Yan getting along with each other and slowly getting close to one another just made him even more irritable.

"Is she really that good, that Yu Jiao?" he didn't know it himself, but his tone just now was just a tad bit too sour.

Surprisingly, Luo Yan didn't notice it and honestly said, "Yes. I even suspect that her identity here in Arcadia must be pretty well-known."

Shen Ji Yun pursed his lips. His heart became even more sour when she heard that. "I haven't heard any famous female Blacksmith. The current number one Blacksmith is a male player named Vulcan. If you want a high-grade weapon, I suggest that you contact him instead of waiting for this Yu Jiao. After all, the Rookie Carnival is only a month away."

This time Luo Yan noticed that something was wrong with Shen Ji Yun's tone – it was too cold. It even had a hint of a sneer. He glanced at the other and saw him frowning. Luo Yan raised one of his brows. What had gotten him into a bad mood?

"Is something wrong, Brother Ji Yun?"

At Luo Yan's question, Shen Ji Yun realized that he was acting immature and unreasonable. Something that wasn't like him at all. He understood clearly the reason why. Because he was jealous of this 'Yu Jiao'. Truly, this whole love thing could make people irrational.

He took a deep breath and tried his best to turn his expression back to normal. Or at least normal for him. "Nothing. Shall we go and buy those blank NPCs?"

He didn't wait for Luo Yan's answer and just walked ahead.

Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun's back suspiciously. Maybe he just thought of something unpleasant earlier that's why he suddenly acted like that. 

When he was about to follow Shen Ji Yun, he heard Eclipse said;

[Mashter, Eclipse thinks that he just smelled a strong scent of vinegar coming from Captain.] 

For the second time that day, because of his dear pet, he once again almost tripped on his own feet.