Chapter One - Origins

Hi, my name is Leofwin Warin, but you can call me Leo. I am the middle child of a relatively average household. I spend most of my time playing video games and reading light novels, that was, of course, until the Abyssal Convergence. I am currently being chased by a lightning hodag [which is a monster that makes me wish I was back at home under the covers]. As a result, it is quite possible the fact that I am about to reach the untimely death that I am starting to reflect on how I got here.

Since I was young, my father would tell me.

"Leo, you must become strong so that you can protect those that are weaker than yourself".

After he was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year, I have taken those words to heart. I want to be the person he had envisioned for me. Instead, I ended up becoming the complete opposite,

"A COMPLETE FAILURE".

I don't have much interest in sports or academics. More explicitly, I don't care for reality; I much prefer the fantasy worlds in my light novels. I spend most of my time enveloped in fantastical worlds of heroes and monsters. I wish I could be like the main characters in those stories, strong, capable and brave.

*Pop!*

My eyes snap open to the sound of lightning outside my window. My tiny rural town has recently achieved records for the longest storm in human history. I swear I had seen a flash of purple lightning just before, but I quickly took the idea of the impossible out of my mind.

I find the sound of rain and thunder relatively peaceful. So maybe I will relax before leaving for school and just listen to the gentle chaos outside.

"LEO!" my older sister Rose yells as she bursts through the door.

I barely have time to blink before I receive a flying kick to my jaw, followed by a fist to the gut.

"Are you up?" she smiles innocently.

Unfortunately, I couldn't answer due to the fact that I had no longer had air to breathe.

Rose stood up proudly and appeared seemingly satisfied with the gasping that had replaced my words.

"Hurry up. You are going to be late for school."

After convulsing on the floor for a minute, I got the strength to get up and get ready for the day.

My days were always the same, a quick shower and attempting to style my brown hair to look good paired with my green eyes in an attempt to attract any girls that I would most definitely not have the courage to talk to, followed by a high schooler's attempt at breakfast, which almost always turned out to be no breakfast. Then I would look at my watch, which would always be followed by a

"Annnnnnd I am late...again".

I burst into my homeroom class, heaving and attempting to catch my breath covered in water from the rain outside.

"Leofwin, good to see you. It seems you have broken your record." Mr. Price narrowed his eyes onto his watch.

"Only 28 minutes late!" he exclaimed with a smile full of insincerity.

I opened my mouth to give my usual excuse of "the bus was late, and I swear I saw..." but was met only by the harsh tone.

"Save it. Take a seat." followed by a cold stare.

I scanned the room, hoping to find any seats at the back of the class still available.

I heard a snicker come from the back left side of the room

"Psst Leo!" two people said in unison.

Oliver and Drew were my closest friends, and we had done everything together since we were little. Whether it be playing video games, coming up with schemes, and getting in trouble. We did it all together. So I am closer to them than I am with my family.

"I don't understand how you are always late with that brute of a sister you have," Oliver chuckled while rubbing a bruise he had received from her two nights before.

"Hey!" I laughed, "She isn't a brute! Just ... strong-willed", I exclaimed while taking a seat beside them.

"Yeah, for a lion" snorted Drew.

Drew had a rough upbringing, constantly bullied, even worse by his family. He fixed his shirt to avoid showing the cigarette burns that scarred his torso. His blonde hair was a rat's nest on his head. Drew believed the worst in people, and it took almost two years for him to start trusting Oliver and me.

In complete contrast to him was Oliver. He is filled with joy and laughter, always believing the best in people, an absolute optimist.

"Mr. Price, I think I speak for the entire class when I say..."

I turned to see Claire smiling at the teacher, faking innocence.

"that Leo has interrupted our class, and it would look poor on your behalf as a strong teacher if you did not punish him."

"Hmm." Price tucked in his shirt tighter as he straightened his back in an attempt to look more alpha.

"You are absolutely right, Claire! Warin! Detention at the end of the day!" he stated proudly.

Claire raised her hand and waved at me while wearing a devilish grin. Her blond hair was swept across her shoulders. If it wasn't for her having a horrible personality, she is quite beautiful, tall with blue eyes that seem to reflect the ocean along with a curvy body.

"Yes, sir!" I saluted mockingly. Oliver and Drew burst out into laughter which caused Price to redden from the neck up in anger. He quickly dismissed me and turned to return to his lesson.

*BANG*

Purple lightning struck the metal grading of the windows.

The class rushed to see if they had really seen such an odd colored lightning strike; in the sky above, a mass of purple lightning swirled in the clouds looking as though it was attempting to touch down in the courtyard that was just outside.

*BANG*

Mr.Price was frozen, staring at the storm slowly descending like a funnel towards the courtyard, paralyzed in fear.

"What the hell.....".

*BANG*

Everyone was thrown back from the windows as glass flew everywhere, piercing me just above my right eye. I couldn't see out of my right eye; what happened?

I brought my hand to my eye in hopes of discovering what happened; it was blood streaking over my eyes, obstructing me from seeing.

"Ahhhh!" a shriek came from beside me.

Claire, only a few feet beside me, was holding her best friend June. I gasped, my breath sucked out of my lungs. June had glass sticking out from all over her body, her limp arm tangled and broken beneath her. Claire's tears bounced off her dead friend's uniform.

Price screamed and ran towards the door, limping. He, too, had been hurt. He flung open the door, hoping to run to safety and leave his helpless students behind.

"So much for a strong teacher," I whispered under my breath.

*Crackle*

The purple vortex of energy started to spin more and more rapidly. It had now formed into a portal of purple lightning that had descended into the courtyard. I stared in horror at the portal as a cloaked figure stepped out. He wore dark garments, and the shadow under his hood covered his face. All you could see was the purple lightning that flickered in his eyes. Starring at it made me feel insignificant, like a bug.

"HAHA," He laughed, raising his arms while projecting his voice like a king would to peasants. Drew and I got to our feet, not daring to say anything in front of the being. My hand was constantly wiping the blood above my eyes so I could see clearly.

The rest of the class slowly got to their feet, whimpering as most of us had been injured.

His cold gaze turned towards us. He hovered over in front of the hole where the glass windows once were.

Was he...flying???

"This world is so....boring", he cackled mischievously. Then Drew did something I would never expect from his usually reserved personality. He took a step forward and faced the purple-eyed demon.

"Why are you here! Why did you kill these people!" He screamed as he gestured towards the few bodies of the people that had been closest to the blast.

"Hmph! You have some courage. I quite like you! This world's people may yet entertain me! And to answer your question, the weak must make sacrifices for the strong to rise!"

An intense guttural rage soared from within me.

"You cannot treat us as a game! We are not your playthings; we are people with families and friends!" I screamed as soon as I said that I regretted it. An immense intent flooded the area, something so powerful it crippled all of us.

The being's playful mood faded. "You don't look like much," he scoffed, his eyes gazing into my soul.

"Ants should not dare speak in my presence". He turned and continued as if speaking to masses.

"I will bestow upon you an opportunity to prove yourselves. Behind me is a portal, a nexus, if you will. Some of you that were born with enough strength will evolve and be able to survive the world that is beyond. I will catalyze your evolution... for the strong to rise, give me entertainment!"

He snapped his fingers, Drew, and half of the class dropped beside me. Purple lightning flickered around them as they convulsed. They were being electrocuted! I stood helpless, watching one of my closest friends scream in agony. He held his hand out towards me in an attempt for help. I stuck out my hand, but just before it reached him, I heard a woman's voice in my mind.

"Stop! Do not touch his hand Leofwin!" I instantly retreated, horrified as I watched my friend seizure, tears formed in my now dried, blood-soaked eye.

A jolt ran through my body, and I was thrown to the ground. I began convulsing as well. Oliver stared at me, still paralyzed in fear as he searched for a way to help me. I forced my eyes to look at my body; I was being electrocuted like everyone else, except something was different. The lightning that surrounded my body was green! Then my world turned black, and I felt my mind slip out of consciousness.

I awoke to the voice of the demon striking through the air, his immense intent keeping us all crumpled on the ground.

"This portal will allow you to leave your ordinary basic world behind. There are one hundred floors full of monsters and demons. As you ascend, your trials will also grow in strength. But, you may ask, why would you enter? The land behind me, known as Purgatory, can provide you with riches, power, or maybe even land to rule among the floors. Also, I should probably mention that everyone who has awakened their true powers will find they lost something" He snapped his fingers again, the image of my sister flashed through my mind. Her eyes stained with tears, as she struggled against the chains that wrapped around her limbs, she was in a dark castle surrounded by purple lightning.

Horrifying monsters that I had never seen in any fiction howled around her.

"No!" I screamed in my mind.

"You can find your newfound abilities and level in your status window. If you wish to save the person you love or just want to gain riches and power, I hope you will entertain me. Ants."

He snapped his fingers once again and disappeared back into the portal behind him.

The god-like being left the whole class in tears; all of them had just seen the people they loved most tortured and chained in another world. I was stunned, unable to find words, still struggling to stand because of the spasms my body had gone through due to the odd electricity. Oliver hadn't felt the surge, so he began helping Drew to his feet.

Claire was still holding the body of June in her arms. She struggled as her arms trembled. She had been struck by lightning as well. Out of our class of 34, 12 seemed to have been injured by the agony that the being had called "a catalyst?"

The portal whirled and churned outside in the courtyard, almost begging for people to enter.

My gaze was fixed on the convergence. I took a step, almost losing my balance on the blood-splattered floor.

"Are you guys okay? What was that? Purgatory? Power? Status window?" Oliver frantically said as he wiped the sweat that had gathered below his black hairline.

Right at the moment, he said, "Status Window," a purple screen popped up in front of him. I stood beside him and read.

"Oliver Jordanson"

Age: 17

Level:0

Status: Ordinary

Unique Ability: None

Nickname: None

What had just happened? What was the screen that was in front of him? The rest of the class hadn't moved, their thoughts still probably on the images that had been seen earlier.

"Status window," Drew said confidently after seeing what Oliver had done.

"Drew Young"

Age:17

Level:1

Status: Demon Abyss Walker

Unique Ability: "Demonic Body"

Nickname: "The Malevolent"

"My body feels weird, it feels.... stronger and more powerful," he exclaimed while staring at his screen.

After seeing both of my friends open this mysterious window, several others began looking at their status window. It seemed that only the ones that had come in contact

with the purple lightning had obtained a level and a nickname. I looked over to Claire. Her whimpers had died down, leaving a look of complete loss on her face. I moved closer,

I wanted to help, to comfort her. Even though she had been so evil to me my entire school career, she was suffering, and it hurt to see. I bent down in an attempt to comfort her.

"Touch me, and I will kill you." she scowled, not even looking me in the eye. Her blue eyes now reflected something more akin to a tsunami.

"Status window," the same purple screen popped up in front of her.

"Claire Heart"

Age:17

Level:1

Status: Abyss Walker

Unique Ability: "Monster of the Deep"

Nickname: "The Witch of the Sea"

That powerful nickname definitely reflected the aura she was giving off.

Finally, I decided it was my turn.

"Status window" the screen popped up in front of me, but something was off. It was green, not purple.

"Leofwin Warin"

Age:17

Level: 1

Status: Heavenly Abyss Walker

Unique Ability: Divine Sword

Nickname: "The Unknown"

I'm Leofwin Warin, and this was the beginning of my journey into the Abyssal Convergence.