Ode to Unintentional Journey

When Tanya told me we were heading to Yacarta, I expected it to be a standard medieval fantasy town: cobblestone streets, people selling apples from wooden carts, and maybe a bard who would annoy everyone with his lute.

What I didn't expect was a town that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. As we stepped through the shimmering energy barrier that marked the city gates, I felt like I had stepped onto the set of Cyberpunk: Wizard Edition. The streets were bustling with activity, filled with people wearing glowing robes and armor that shimmered with enchantments. Floating drones carrying magical runes hovered overhead, projecting bright holograms that advertised things like "Get Your Mana Potions for Half Price!" and "Enchantment for Beginners: A 3-Day Crash Course!"

Tall skyscrapers of enchanted glass and steel rose into the sky, with glowing lines along their surfaces, like veins of neon blue magic. The air smelled of roasted chestnuts from a nearby food stand—and, strangely, a hint of ozone, like the afterglow of a lightning strike.

"This… this is crazy. Is that a flying taxi?" I amazed at it.

"Yep. Welcome to Yacarta. The most advanced city in this world." She welcomed me with grace.

"Advanced? Tanya, that elf just swiped their credit card with a wand." I somehow still not used to see it.

As we walked deeper into the city, I couldn't stop gawking. A group of dwarves in shiny spacesuits walked past us, carrying large magical equipment. Nearby, a few orcs in sleek cyber-magic suits were arguing in front of a floating touchscreen displaying a 3D spell matrix.

"This place is like Hogwarts into a tech startup accelerator." I said. "It is hard to believe honestly."

"Technology and magic coexist here. Yacarta is the hub for innovation, where the greatest minds and mages collaborate." She told me about the city background a bit.

Suddenly, a floating orb zipped up to us, projecting a friendly hologram of a smiling goblin.

"Welcome to Yacarta! Need directions? Looking for food? Or perhaps, the nearest weapon shop?" The orb acted like a talking google map mixed with a service AI

"Uh… yeah, that last one." Tanya accepted its offer for a direction

"Excellent choice! Please follow the glowing path." The Orb showed the glowing path towards the south

As we followed the glowing blue line that appeared on the pavement, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in over my head.

"So… why are we here? Are we sightseeing? Grabbing lunch? Maybe a magical spa day?" I tried to make a joke.

"We're here to get you a weapon." She said.

I raised my eyebrow. "A weapon? You mean, like, a sword or something? Can't I just stick with the whole 'accidentally useful' strategy?"

"No. You will need something reliable for the upcoming battle." Tanya answered me while shook her head.

"Hey, I've got a mean mushroom-throwing arm." I tried to convince her. "What about it? No?"

Tanya rolled her eyes as the orb led us to a towering building with a giant glowing hammer on its roof. The sign above the entrance read: "The Forge of Eternity"

Inside, the shop is a mix of blacksmithing tenacity and futuristic aesthetics. On one side, magical anvils and furnaces glow with blue flames, while sparks fly as the blacksmiths work on half-finished blades. On the other, weapons float in glass cases, spinning slowly as if on display for potential buyers.

"This place looks expensive. Should I start offering to sweep floors to pay for this?" I was a bit worried about my money.

"Don't worry about the cost. The cost of the weapon is not expensive like in your world." She made me a bit comfortable about it.

"Really? Like, buying a phone credits?" I was confused.

Tanya smirked. "Something like that. You can buy any weapon you want here." 

As we wandered through the shop, I couldn't help but feel out of place. Tanya, of course, looked like she belonged, her aura screaming "heroic badass." Meanwhile, I was a glorified mushroom slinger in sneakers.

That's when it happened

A low hum filled the air, like the sound of a deep bell resonating through my chest. Two weapons—a sleek, black and silver spear with glowing gold runes etched along its shaft—began to glow brighter, vibrating in its transparent case. On the other hand, a ring with a black and white sleek design that has some ancient letter on its edge was floating upwards. 

"Uh… is that thing supposed to do that?" I had a bad feeling about it.

"No… it's not." Tanya's eyes widen

The glass case shattered, and the spear shot through the air like a missile. I could not move, but I screamed inside my head. I mean look... these things just moved towards me like there is no tomorrow? Oh did I tell you that the ring did the same thing?

"IT'S ATTACKING ME! GOODNESS ME!" I shocked. 

But instead of impaling me, the Spear and the ring stopped inches from my face, hovering as if it were... studying me.

"H-hello? Please don't kill me." I nervously beg to it.

The spear pulsed once, then slowly floated into my hands. The moment I touched it, a surge of energy ran through me, and the runes on the shaft lit up like a Christmas tree.

The entire shop went silent. Even the blacksmiths stopped their work to stare.

Tanya whispered to me. "You've been chosen."

"Chosen? For what?" I asked her back.

Suddenly, I heard a fast footstep approaching us. "That's the Gungnir Lance! It's a legendary weapon forged by the gods themselves! It hasn't chosen a master in centuries! The ring is Draupnir, another legendary ring made by Odin itself," he said. 

"Centuries?! Are you sure it didn't just lower its standards?" I told them.

Tanya smacked my arm, but she was smiling.

"Looks like you're more special than you thought." She was a bit serious.

"Special, huh? Maybe this thing knows I'm great at throwing stuff." I grinned.

As I twirled the spear experimentally, it suddenly extended itself into a massive, glowing halberd. I yelped and almost dropped it, but the weapon adjusted itself, settling perfectly in my grip.

Okay, this is cool. A little terrifying, but cool

"You'll need training, but this is a good start." Tanya was so happy with my ability.

"Training? Come on..." I a bit frustrated upon hearing it.

I swung the halberd dramatically—and accidentally sliced a nearby display case in half.

"HEY! Watch it!" The shopkeeper screamed. 

"Uh… sorry! Still getting used to it!" I was sheepishly said sorry to him

Tanya sighed, shaking her head as she led me out of the shop.

"We've got a lot of work to do." She remained with me.

"Work? Man..." I sighed. "It is going to be a long day... isn't it?

Great. My destiny was in the hands of Spear and Ring now? Check.

What could go wrong?