Upgrade and Fusion are two mechanics that are available in the game for players to take their pickaxes to the next level.
The upgrade mechanic: Allows players to upgrade their pickaxe of choice to the next rarity by paying a certain amount of fees in $CGEM, which is burned in the process.
The Fusion mechanic: Allows players to take their pickaxe of choice to the next rarity by combining it with another pickaxe of similar rarity, and a small $CGEM fee is burned as well.