In a dimly lit space where sunlight barely reached, three teenagers, aged around fifteen to sixteen years old, stood solemnly.
Their faces were etched with sorrow as they gazed at the ground, where a makeshift grave lay.
Atop the grave, a large stone was embedded with the name 'Myla' inscribed upon it.
After a moment of silence, they moved to a different part of the cave, leaving the makeshift grave behind.
The cave they were in seemed to be within a large mountain, with ample space all around them. Moving around was easy, as the cave appeared more spacious than the forest they had been in earlier.
In the corner where the three kids stood, Famir addressed the other two.
"I am going to upgrade to the bronze level now."
Orion and Ryfin both nodded in agreement to Famir's words. They understood the necessity of having someone strong among them, given the precarious situation they found themselves in.
"Start the upgrade."
Famir addressed his system, holding the spherical ball in his hands as he spoke.
[Initiating Process. Upgrade starting in 3, 2, 1, and start.]
In that moment, Famir's body began to emit a golden aura-like hue before he suddenly erupted into screams of agony.
"Agggahhhh!"
"Are you alright?"
"What is going on?"
Orion and Ryfin were immediately filled with concern as Famir's screams pierced the air.
Before they could utter another word, however, they witnessed something horrifying unfold before their eyes.
They watched in horror as Famir's body began convulsing, his muscles contorting, and his bones audibly cracking. Unable to withstand the torment, Famir collapsed to the ground in agony.
But that wasn't the end of the horror they witnessed. A strange and unsettling transformation began to unfold before their eyes.
Famir's body seemed to shrink in reverse, his limbs retracting and his hands and legs diminishing in size until only his head remained unchanged.
Throughout the ordeal, Famir's screams had not ceased. The excruciating pain he experienced during this transformation was unlike anything he had ever felt in his previous life. It was truly unparalleled in its intensity.
"What happened to him?"
Ryfin panicked as he witnessed Famir's transformation, but he couldn't help but think that his decision to not upgrade himself at that time had been a wise choice.
Orion, with a ghastly expression on his face, struggled to comprehend what was happening. This transformation was supposed to be an evolution, an upgrade.
Yet, as he looked at Famir, whose only recognizable feature remained his head, while the rest of his body had transformed into that of a toddler, confusion and horror washed over him.
While visibly worried, Orion's panic was tempered by a glimmer of hope. He noticed that the golden aura-like hue surrounding Famir still persisted, leading him to believe that perhaps the transformation process had not yet been completed. Therefore, what they were witnessing at that moment might just be a midway result.
'I hope it's as I thought; otherwise, we will be doomed.'
Orion thought anxiously as he waited, his eyes fixed on Famir, hoping for some sign of clarity or resolution.
After a while, the intensity of the golden hues surrounding Famir's body increased, and a transformation began to unfold. First, his hands and legs began to twitch before growing back to their original size.
His previously deformed muscles wriggled as they condensed, while his bones seemed to regenerate and reconstruct themselves. His entire body shook at irregular and odd angles as the transformation progressed.
After a moment, the transformation process was finally completed.
When Orion and Ryfin looked at Famir, they couldn't believe their eyes. He appeared to be fit like those athletes on Earth, and he even seemed to have grown taller.
Yet the most noticeable change occurred in the part with the least transformation—Famir's head.
His hair seemed to have grown significantly, and his face had undergone the most striking transformation. To both Orion and Ryfin, Famir now resembled the handsome actors seen in movies.
[Congratulations on upgrading your level to bronze rank. Check status for more information.]
At that moment, Famir, feeling as though he had reached the pinnacle of his life, noticed a notification appear in his field of vision.
Ignoring the notification for the time being, Famir turned to face Orion and Ryfin, who were looking at him with intense jealousy. He felt confused for a moment, uncertain about the reason behind their reaction.
"What happened? What's with that look?"
Orion waved his hand and posed a question to Famir in return.
"Nothing; how do you feel? Stronger?"
"Not just stronger. I feel like every part of my body seems to have improved a lot, even my brain."
Excitedly, Famir began to explain how he felt after the transformation, but he had even more good news to share with them.
"And you know what's the best?"
"Just tell us, what's with the suspense?"
Orion asked, his expression tinged with irritation.
Famir smiled as he gazed at both of them, then proudly displayed the spherical ball for their inspection.
"I think you two can also upgrade with this help."
"What? We can?"
Ryfin excitedly exclaimed, but the memory of Famir's excruciating and bone-chilling upgrade process gave him pause, causing him to doubt whether he should undergo the upgrade himself.
Seeing Ryfin's doubtful expression, Famir understood his hesitation and sought to reassure him.
"Don't worry about the pain. Think about the gain."
'He is right. Think of the gain after the upgrade. I can have my own stats after leveling up. But the pain...'
Ryfin pondered to himself. Though he desired the upgrade, the fear of the excruciating pain he would have to endure during the process filled him with dread.
In the end, he succumbed to his gamer instincts.
"Fine, I will do it."
At that moment, Orion offered Ryfin a valuable suggestion.
"Alright, you upgrade first, but not here. Just go to some place where we can't hear or see you. Just looking at Famir's upgrade made me think I will have nightmares tonight."
Though the suggestion would primarily benefit him, he wouldn't want to witness a similar scene of that nightmareish transformation again.
Ryfin nodded solemnly as he looked at them, acknowledging their suggestion.
"Alright then, I will be back in a while."
"Just don't go too far."
Famir added, watching as Ryfin walked away, his expression thoughtful.