Mohan's POV.
The lecture hall was silent as all of the class are on session. Dozens of students lounged across rows of tables, flipping through their sketchbooks, scrolling on there iPad's, or fitting fabric together in an odd patterns. For the most, it was a lazy afternoon in Professor Jiyong's "Fashion Mastery & Aesthetics" class. And for me, however, it was sacred.
I was busy looking back in forth to the projector to my iPad as i take note, Professor Jiyongs class is strict and well known for brute exams, "And Please take note of this, and Prepare for the upcoming Exams." Now that it's about to be finished I closed my Note pad and open my sketchbook, its time to make another look for my rebellion runway.
For me, fashion wasn't just cloth and stitch. It was armor—a declaration of presence. It wasn't vanity; it was survival.
"Still sketching your runway rebellion, Mohan?"
The teasing voice cut through my focus. I know it very well that its Professor Jiyong voice, she in her trademark black jacket with chrome trims,looking from the edge of her desk. She had this aura of a woman who had seen both Paris and Rupauls runways yet chose to teach university, and challenged students to think beyond fabric.
I tilted my chin up with a grin. "If the rebellion doesn't walk the runway, Miss, then what's the point of fashion at all?" I said with a smile in my face.
The class chuckled, but Miss Jiyong only smirk it was sharper than approval. She tapped her Small pen in her hands, and the projector screen projected into the middle of the room.
Across it, letters burned in: TROPICANA ONLINE
Me and my classmates leaned forward. Even those uninterested in gaming recognized the name. Tropicana Online, or simply TO, had been the most disruptive VR game in the last two years or to be exact, 1 year and 5 months ago. It was not just a game but a world of cyberpunk-fantasy where every floor was a sprawling city to conquer.
Professor Jiyong's voice carried a tone of challenge. "Mohan, you talk about fashion as armor, as statement." She said as she walks towards me "Then prove it in a world where armor is survival, prove to me that in that game you can serve fashion and survive." She continued "Play Tropicana Online. Stream your journey. And if you can clear at least 3 cities by the semester's end…" She paused, eyes gleaming. "I'll fund your independent rebellion fashion showcase. A runway that is yours alone." She grins as if she already won the bet.
The room went silent.
"3 cities? That's insane!" Said Mika
"He's not even a gamer!" The Nerdy one Jame
"Professor, are you serious?" Some of my classmates ask with disbeliefs.
My heart thumped. 3 cities… In Tropicana, that wasn't a stroll. Each city was its own labyrinth, its own culture." The global ranking boards showed that the average player struggled to even clear City #2. And only a handful of elite guilds had pushed to City #3: The Flying Islands. " Professor Jiyong said.
I closed my sketchbook, stood, and met her gaze. "A runway's a runway, whether it's glam lights or blood-stained alleys. I accept." I said with pride.
The room roared with disbelief.
Professor Jiyong only smiled. "Then prepare, Mohan Nevara. The runway you're about to walk… is a battlefield."
After the class, I made my way back to my Dorm, Capitol University is a Private school with its own Dormitory inside the campus, its a high paid University after all. I look and check the room number 20, I was lucky that i was only in 2nd floor, it is easy and fast to go when i need to go to class or to but food downstairs.
I opened the door, put my black scarfs in my desk and sat , my glasses tilted, as I was scrolling through my iPad. "Time to do some research… shall we" I muttered.
"Tropicana Online was released one and a half years ago,"I murmured to himself. "A VRMMO with a fifty cities. The Current progression is… only a few guilds cleared City 2, and now opened The Cities of Flying Islands, City 3."
I clicked on an article. Its the footage of the floating city unfolded, a skyline of metalic platforms hovering in storm of clouds, chained together with neon light bridges. Massive bird like drones that patrolled the skies. At the center, a colossal monster controlled by the Sky Sovereign guarded the passage to the next city.
My lips curled upward. A city in the sky? Imagine the futuristic mask. The wings. The flowing capes… But what caught my attention most wasn't the spectacle of City #3. It was the game update from a month ago.
"A NEW CLASS WAS ADDED: BLACKSMITH"
I leaned closer. The article described it as a "Suppotive crafting class" meant for creating weapons and armor. Most players dismissed it as dead weight, useful only in cities with long progression quests. Some guild had taken it seriously yet. But not in Solo players.
But for me I didn't see as "dead weight." i saw potential.
"Blacksmith… They think it's just hammer and forge," I whispered, excitement sparking. "But if armor is fashion, then blacksmithing isn't forging gear. It's designing a style."
Already, my ideas bloomed in my mind, runway coats doubling as armor plates, boots with built in propulsion, accessories laced with micro weapons. "Oh, they'll regret calling it trash." I said as I smiled.
3rd Person's POV.
Later that evening, Mohan decided to visit his friend who owns a shop and cafe shop. He pushed open the door to Chill VR, a café and lined with VR pods. The place always smelled of roasted beans and ozone from the charging stations, it's a place to study and to hangout and play VR games.
Behind the counter stood A tall man named Hazem, the owner stocky, broad-shouldered, with a perpetual smile hidden beneath his trimmed beard. He wore a barista apron over a casual blue hoodie, and his VR headset hung at his neck like it was an accessory.
"Mohan!" Hazem greeted, sliding him a cup without asking. "Black roast, two sugars. The drink of a madmen about to do something stupid." He grinned as he looked at Mohans mischievous smile.
Mohan laughed, taking a sip. "Word travels fast, huh?"
"Professor Jiyong's a famous player, not to mention one of the top 3 in the leaderboard so if she said something about a challenge, it will be trending immediately knowing some of your classmates plays or follow her stream. Well Everyone's betting on whether you'll die in the first city."
Mohan feigned offense. "How dare they? I'll die in the second city, thank you." He said as he sips again.
Hazem chuckled. "Careful, fashionista boy. That game chews people alive. I've been grinding myself. I Barely cleared City #2: The Crystal District. The quest and the City Guardian is a beast."
"Crystal District…" Mohan repeated, eyes gleaming. "Shattered glass armor. Reflective designs. I can work with that."
Hazem shook his head. "You're thinking of aesthetics while everyone else is thinking survival. That's why I like you. You're a madman haha." He laughed as he tends to another customer.
After a while the two friends settled, they catch up a little. Hazem admitted he'd support Mohan's run, even lend him items if they ever linked in-game. But more than that, he promised to watch his streams.
"People underestimate you, Mo. But fashion is confidence. And confidence… wins fights."
Mohan smirked, sipping his coffee. "Then I'll make confidence my weapon." After that Mohan, ask for a priced for the Vr set, "Its about 15k" Hazem said "God…" Mohan Whispered. But immediately gave his card to Hazem.
Back at the dorm, The room was silent except for the hum of the VR console. Mohan stood before the black pod, its surface pulsing with faint white light.
He wore a fitted black shirt and a white pants, nothing dramatic. His real armor would be inside the game.
He slid into the pod, the seat fitted perfectly to his body. The lid closed, sealing him in total darkness. His heartbeat echoed in his ears.
Then came the voice of a soft, digital, like silk over metal.
[Welcome, Player. This is Tropicana Online…]
[Do you accept the risk of losing yourself to the fifty cities?]
[Yes / No]
Mohan whispered into the void, a grin stretching across his face. "A runway without risk is just a hallway."
[Players Name: Mo]
[Streaming Name: Mo... Registered... You will be live in 3... 2... 1...]
[Player Avatar: Would you like to customize your avatar?]
[YesNo]
"No, darling"
[Identity Confirmed. Prepare for Character Creation.]
Light bloomed around him, fractals forming into a vast skyline. Big towers stretched into endless sky. Streets thrummed with music, flying cyber-birfs, and flying cars. It was breathtaking, a city where fashion, metal, and fantasy collided.
A panel appeared before him:
[Please Choose Your Class:
1. Rogue
2. Swordsman
3. Shielder
4. Bard
5. Mage
6. Blacksmith ]
Mohan's breath caught. The moment had come.
In the other end, A Crowds of students, strangers, and even Professor Jiyong herself were watching his stream. The chat scrolled furiously, demanding Bard or Swordsman.
His finger hovered and with a smile, he pressed.
[BLACKSMITH.]
The world froze. The interface pulsed, confirming the choice.
[Class Confirmed: Blacksmith. You are the Forger of Futures.]
[You'll be spawning in the Beginning, The kingdom of Dunches, Good luck and Save Tropicana…]
Mohan opened his eyes to the busy streets of the Kingdom of Dunches. The people are bustled around him, weapons flashing, gears turning. He exhaled, stepping forward.
"Let's turn this battlefield," he whispered, "into my runway."