(This chapter is used as a guide into the world of Nether Imp, explaining the power system and the rankings, as it will be easiest to follow along, using this as a guide.)

A curse called the dreadspell covered the world in a dark veil, releasing a shadow that- when coming into contact with a human, puts so much strain on their soul, leading them to corruption.

These people who are cursed are called the condemned.

When a person's soul is corrupted, their body is put into a deep state of limbo. (Limbo - meaning the body is unresponsive and unusable.)

While their body is in limbo, their mind is in a state of purgatory.

In order to get out of purgatory, and gain control of their body back, they must kill all of the Veiled beings inside of the purgatory, and complete the trial's challenge.

Veiled Beings are the monsters that come from the deepest parts of the condemned persons purgatory. These creatures can come to the real world if someone dies while in their purgatory, turning their body into a veiled being.

They can also come to the real world if the condemned is inside of their purgatory for more than 24 hours, as they can make a link between purgatory and the real world, making a portal for them to travel through.Some of these beings are stronger than others.

(Time is different in purgatory. Every hour in the real world is equivalent to 24 hours in purgatory.)

The government started marking the stronger creatures as higher priority for the condemned ones to hunt down and kill, giving these creatures Cursed grades.

Sins- No title

Reapers- One title

Primordial Sins - Two titles

Leviathans- Three titles

Demons- Four titles

Greater Demons-Five titles

Great Terrors- Six Titles

With each ranking, they get progressively stronger based on the number of titles they have.

Unlike the condemned, the Veiled Beings are created with a certain amount of titles.

As soon as the condemned enter the purgatory's trial, they are gifted with an Alter.

Each Purgatory trial has to do with the condemned's Alter.

If they conquer the trial of their own purgatory, they keep their Alter, allowing them to fight against the Veiled Beings in the real world.

Alters are titles gifted to the condemned, which grant them special powers based on their innate talent and affinity.

Condemned ones are able to use the abilities granted to them by their alters because of their Alter Laylines.

Alter Laylines are something everyone is born with, a sort of mana core, allowing them to make use of their Alter powers.

Each Alter comes in a form of a title, for example: Alter: Light Monarch - The condemned one with this title has an affinity to light, allowing them to use special light magic.

Every Alter also come with a curse of its own. For example: Light Monarch Curse- The brightness of the light makes the user go blind over time.

Every Alter also has their own traits, corresponding to ones natural abilities. For example - Light Monarch Traits- a heightened pool of mana, and increased range of sight.

Ascension Title - A title granted to a Condemned meaning they have full control over their Alter, allowing them to gain another special trait.

Gaining an ascension title also leads them to another title.

Each extra title a condemned gets, has to do with their original Alter, granting them new forms, new abilities, ect.

Example: Ascension title - From light monarch to Light Emperor.

Light Emperor - Grants a transformation: Angelic Advent. (Gives the condemned Angelic wings of light, Allowing for multiple new attacks, and flight.)

Light Emperor Trait: Light Speed

Also, When someone gets an Ascension Title, the Alters curse is less potent, but still active.

In order for a Condemned to get an ascension title, they must go into the deeper depths of their purgatory. Sometimes, peoples Purgatory's collide, meaning that the trial is home to a Great Terror.

Grades:

Cursed - condemned who haven't gone into the purgatory yet(no title)

Hexed - Condemned who have gone into purgatory, but made it out without a title.

Altered - ones who have gone into purgatory, but made it out with a useless Alter(weak title)

Heavenly - ones who have made it out of the first trial, and have gained a powerful Alter(strong title)

Ascended - ones who have completed the second trial, and have turned their first title into an ascended title.

Transcended- ones who have completed the third trial and gained another title

Supreme- ones who completed the fourth trial and turned their second title into an ascended title

Immortal- only people who were able to complete the fifth trial and gain another title, on top of the second ascended title.

The condemned are graded based on the amount of titles they have aswell. The government graded the condemend in order to have a scale of how powerful a condemned is.