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

Alex stood by the side, watching everything from afar. There was no gain in getting into the mess. He only wished to know what was happening from the perspective of an outsider.

A group of 10 players were arguing against a group of guards, and among the guards, there was one person Alex knew.

It was the captain who worked with him on that mission, where he found Mikkel.

The captain was only watching the scene unfold before his eyes. Alex approached him, and when he saw Alex, the surprise was real!

"Shadowborn? Boy, how are you doing? I am glad you are back and well." the captain said.

While the two had worked together, Alex did not know the captain's name, and the captain seemed to recall that.

"Gareth. You only know me as captain, right? But that's okay; you were a good soldier."

Alex walked toward him and said, "Gareth, I am happy to see you, but what is this fuss about?"

Massacre in the City