BigToad

Alex Mercer was a legendary thief known for his audacious heists and cunning skills. However, his criminal streak comes to an abrupt halt when he is finally apprehended and sentenced to prison.

In the midst of his imprisonment, a revolutionary virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (VRMMORPG) is launched, called Eternal Realms, captivating the attention of the entire world. The prison authorities, seeking to introduce recreational activities for the inmates, decide to allow select prisoners to participate in the game as a means of passing the time.

Eager to escape the monotony of prison life, Alex eagerly takes up the opportunity to join the immersive virtual world. To his surprise, he discovers that his notoriety as a master thief has caught the attention of players within the game. They started offering him IRL means to reduce his prison sentence in an exchange on a daring quest to retrieve valuable treasures scattered throughout the virtual realm.

With a hidden class known as the "Shadow Hunter," Alex possesses unique skills and abilities that make him an invaluable asset to the players seeking rare and precious items. As he delves deeper into the virtual world, he finds himself entangled in a complex web of alliances, rivalries, and dangerous quests that blur the line between the game and reality.

As the stakes rise, Alex must navigate treacherous dungeons, confront formidable adversaries, and outwit both in-game challenges and real-world dangers. Along the way, he forms unexpected alliances and confronts his own inner demons, questioning the choices that led him down a path of crime.
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For anyone wondering about the romance, it will take a long time as this is not the focus of the book.

MMORPG: Shadow Hunter

The group of six players stood in front of Alex's horse, staring directly into his eyes. For the first time in a long while, Shadowborn was revealing his face. Because of this, many players around were recording, seeking views, and fame.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I can set you back to LVL 1," Alex said.

There was no reason for that group of players to try to attack him in that manner. It was obvious they would lose unless someone was behind them, ordering that attack.

"Set us back to LVL 1? Who do you think you are? We are six players, and you're just one! Even if you're a high level, it's impossible for you to win!"

They did have some point. Lower-level players didn't have as many skills at their disposal. Another crucial factor was that their items weren't very good either. So, even with a higher level and more distributed points, a normal player would lose that fight at that stage of the game.

Church Interference