The Transformation
Ahmed's throat burned as the pill slid down, glowing like liquid fire. His body convulsed, every muscle shuddering as if struck by lightning. Blue light flared outward, filling the tomb with an unbearable brilliance. Coins rattled. The walls trembled. Ancient carvings wept dust as if mourning what had just been unleashed.
Nana clapped her tiny hands, her bite-marked teeth gleaming. "Mama! Shiny! Mama explody candy!"
Ahmed screamed, though this time not entirely in despair. His voice boomed like thunder as the transformation ripped through him. His skin shimmered, the cursed blue glow fading, replaced by a warm, golden aura. His limbs stretched, bones cracking and reknitting. Mud-streaked hair spilled down his back, long and silky, black as midnight yet shimmering with streaks of silver.
The pain subsided. He staggered to his feet. And for the first time since stepping into this nightmare world… he looked good.
No—he looked magnificent.
A tall, broad-shouldered figure with radiant skin and eyes that burned like molten amber. His jawline sharp enough to cut stone. His ragged clothes torn away in the transformation, replaced by sleek fabric that clung to his new form as if woven by destiny itself. His hair whipped back with an arrogant shine, glistening like he'd just stepped out of a hero's legend.
Ahmed blinked at his reflection in a cracked shield among the treasure piles.
"…Holy… crap."
He touched his cheek, tears forming. "I… I'm beautiful."
The Delusion
He turned, striding across the chamber with newfound grace. His voice deepened into a velvet baritone that practically caressed the air.
"I told you all," he announced to no one and everyone, "that my suffering was leading to this. I am Ahmed, chosen one! Hero! Casanova of the heavens! A legend reborn!"
He struck a pose, running his fingers through his flawless hair. Coins clinked dramatically at his feet, as though the universe itself provided applause.
Nana tilted her head, chewing on a golden coin. "…Mama shiny idiot?"
Ahmed spun on her, eyes glowing. "Not idiot. Icon. Not fool. Hero. Not Mama—no, Father of destiny itself!"
Nana stared. Then she threw the coin at his head.
"OW!" Ahmed clutched his temple, his proud aura wobbling. "Respect your father, you feral gremlin!"
From the shadows, Whorina's laughter rippled. Sweet. Venomous. She materialized fully this time, her translucent form coalescing until she was standing right in front of him. Her wicked grin stretched ear to ear, her crimson eyes glowing with amusement.
"Oh, honey," she purred, circling him. "Look at you. Tall, radiant, handsome. Silky hair, jawline of the gods. It's… delicious."
Ahmed puffed out his chest, basking in her words for once. "Finally. Finally you admit it. You can mock me all you like, but even you can't deny destiny when it shines this brightly!"
Whorina licked her lips slowly. "Oh, I admit it. You're dazzling."
She leaned in close, her cold breath teasing his ear. "But tell me, my sweet… do you feel stronger?"
Ahmed blinked. His smile faltered. "What do you mean?"
The Cruel Truth
Whorina's smirk widened, sharp and merciless. She raised a single finger and tapped his chest. Ahmed flinched at the touch, but nothing happened—no power surged, no divine flame answered.
"Because…" she whispered, voice dripping with glee, "…you're not stronger. Not faster. Not wiser. Not powerful in the slightest."
Her hand shot forward, grabbing his arm. He tried to pull away, but she twisted it with humiliating ease, pinning him against the treasure mound.
Ahmed's eyes widened. "Wait—what?!"
Her lips brushed dangerously close to his ear as she hissed, "That pill was purely cosmetic, darling. A beautification pill. The Casanova Pill. You're nothing but a pretty little ornament now."
"WHAT?!" Ahmed shrieked. "NO, NO, NO, THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY ASCENSION!"
Whorina pressed harder, her weight trapping him. "Oh, it's better than that. The pill also extends your lifespan."
Ahmed blinked, panting. "Wait… it does?!"
Her grin sharpened, devilish. "Yes, honey. By centuries. Now you get to suffer in this world… for a very, very long time."
The Torment
Ahmed thrashed, screaming. "LET ME GO, YOU DEMON LADY! UNBIND ME! I REFUSE TO BE YOUR TOY!"
Whorina only pressed closer, pinning both his wrists above his head with mocking ease. "Mmm. Struggling suits you."
Her tongue flicked across his chest, slow and cruel, tracing the new lines of his transformed body. Ahmed shrieked like a dying animal.
"STOP! STOP! THIS IS TORTURE! I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS!"
Her laugh was pure venom, vibrating in his skull. "But you did, darling. Every breath you take, every mistake you make—signed, sealed, delivered to me."
"FCK YOU!" Ahmed wailed, kicking helplessly. "FCK YOU, WHORINA! THIS ISN'T POWER—THIS IS HELL!"
"Oh, honey," she purred, licking her lips, "that's the point."
The System Announcement
Suddenly, a loud DING echoed through the chamber. The System's voice boomed in his head, cheerful and merciless:
🔊 [NOTICE: NEW TITLE ACQUIRED!]
🔊 HOST IS NOW RECOGNIZED AS—THE PRETTY USELESS ONE.
Ahmed froze, his face twisting into abject horror. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The announcement continued, bright and mocking:
🔊 [BONUS EFFECT: HOST WILL ATTRACT ADDITIONAL ATTENTION FROM PREDATORS AND JEALOUS RIVALS.]
🔊 [CONGRATULATIONS, YOU LOOK FABULOUS!]
Nana clapped like a drummer. "Mama Pretty! Mama Useless! Mama Pretty Useless!"
Ahmed collapsed, weeping. "I can't… I can't do this anymore. Why won't death take me?"
Whorina leaned back, smug beyond measure. "Because, my sweet, life enjoys your misery too much."
The New Threat
Before Ahmed could spiral further, the chamber began to rumble. The ground shook, coins clattering and rolling. The golden aura he radiated pulsed like a beacon, calling out into the swamp above.
From the tunnels, guttural roars echoed. One. Two. Then dozens.
A pack of swamp beasts poured into the chamber—hulking, slimy monstrosities with glowing eyes, drooling fangs, and claws sharp enough to shred stone. They circled, snarling, drawn irresistibly to the pretty, useless glow of Ahmed's new form.
Whorina smirked. "Well, honey. Time to test those new powers."
Ahmed stared at the beasts, trembling, his tears dripping onto the treasure at his feet.
"I… I don't have any powers."
Nana climbed onto his shoulders, gripping his shiny new hair like reins. She pointed dramatically at the pack. "GO, MAMA USELESS! FIGHT!"
Ahmed wailed, voice cracking: "I'M GOING TO DIE PRETTY!"
The swamp beasts lunged.
Epilogue Cliffhanger :
The chamber exploded into chaos as snarls and claws filled the air. Ahmed, radiant but powerless, stood at the center of it all—his new nightmare just beginning.
And deep down, he realized the most horrifying truth of all:
The frogs had been kind. The swamp was merciful. The pill was cruel.
This makeover was his curse.
[TO BE CONTINUED....]