Sky Abyss - Chapter 40 – Playing around with a group of Big Bosses, tensions rise

Sakimori Kagami plays a VRMMORPG called Arch Earth Online. He is a veteran player with the name and appearance similar to an elderly bearded wizard from a certain book about a ring.

One day he purchases an appearance change item as a last resort to spend expiring currency and gets the idea of choosing what he would want to look like if his character was ever a girl.

Falling asleep should have suspended the game, but Kagami wakes up still online and feels the game has has gotten a bit more realistic. Did Arch Earth Online finally get a long-awaited update?

Humanity is caught in a great upheaval after the Intergalactic Union of All Species coincidentally discovers their existence on what they had formerly considered to be the fringe of the universe.Without any say in the matter, they get indicted into the Union as a legal member. Unfortunately, this meant that they were now obligated to partake in the exploration of a new Chaotic Realm parallel to their universe containing rich energies, resources, and essence that the universe itself craved.To that end, the universe has created its own will, which seeks to gather all races and strengthen warriors from them to explore the dangerous but lucrative Chaotic Realm, initiating the Augmented Reality simulation, Essence.In Essence, one can experience a carefully crafted universe similar to an RPG game, either by going in through your soul or going in through VR. The former means that death is true, and the latter is similar to a normal FIVR experience.Those who go in with their souls can freely receive feedback from their 'game characters' to obtain all stats, skills, and items they acquire in Essence, while those who go in with VR do not obtain that benefit.However, those who pay for it in Essence can receive an awakening of genetic talent called abilities. These abilities are graded from F to EX, a total of 10 stages.Not much is expected from the human race when the first 100 participants get chosen at random from the public - a standard protocol - only for each one of them to awaken at least an A-grade ability.Then, there was Damon Arnan, a young Ghanaian politician, who ended up awakening, not one, not two, but three EX-Grade Talents.The human race, which had just entered the galactic playground, was about to experience a storm with Damon smackdab in the middle.

Zack “Kazz” Foreman once was a human from the earth when humans went through a dramatic change because of an event. This forced them to evolve into energy-based beings but was sucked into another dimension.

Forced to start living out lives on random worlds in a fractured dimension, Humanity is placed on the path of complete extinction.

This is controlled by a demon king at a place called The Center of Everything.

The Demons try to force Humanity's mark from every reality, so there are only demons, but the Demon King feeds from anger and pain. A constant tournament going at the center of everything to feed his hunger.

Kazz made it to that point once, but was tricked, refused entry to the tournament because he had offed a place one of the gods of the worlds.

Refusing to give up, Kazz goes back to the beginning to start again. To do this, Kazz must give up all of his memories to choke the flow of demons born fully grown from a pool of recycled souls.

This journey starts after he lives a solitary life trying to get stronger but not knowing why. The world Kazz is on is like our earth, but it was only a mimic of the earth we know.

Caught using steroids and about to give up and join the army, Kazz stumbles onto a cave in the ground. He is transported to a world filled with demons and monsters, and a human god named Hero is speaking in his head.

Hero, a person Kazz knew but was not friends with, followed him to help but was lost from him. Upon meeting Kazz, Hero offers him the Hero System to help him advance in this new world.

Kazz refuses after trying to get to the top and failing to use the easy route. This starts a series of frustrating events for both Heroes, but they learn to work as a team over time.

Kazz will meet misbegotten monster girls and demons that he agrees to take care of in this world, using the Ranching System. It only gives bonuses to the girls and skills to help raise them, but he will also learn to control the Elements with Shamanic abilities.

Apollo Kaiser, a boy who bore the unlucky fate of being unable to grow strong, was condemned by his family.

Discarded by his mother and abused by others, Apollo gives in to his rage.

However, this action results in his death. Many would believe it to be the end, but Apollo's death was a required catalyst.

The Demon Monarch System finds its heir and attaches to his soul, bringing him to a new world where he starts his journey to supremacy.

This difficult journey rife with conflict, conquest, and brutality shall serve as Apollo's temperance.

Watch as the heir of the Demon Monarch rises above all, conquers Sin, subjugates unthinkable enemies, and even brings about the destruction of worlds!

The rise of the next Demon Monarch begins...