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 decided to stay indoors throughout the entire day, only descending from his apartment to go to the gym and to receive the food he had ordered through an app. He was a bit downhearted about Khalita's death, but he knew he would feel better once he found out who had done it.

During his day, he took the opportunity to read the news about the game, both about in-game events and real-world matters. The tournament was one of those things. It seemed they had filled a stadium with thousands of people in about 3 seconds, which surprised Alex once again.

Another thing, the tournament would be held in person, and he still wasn't sure about the technology for broadcasting and ensuring the audience could watch the fights in the best possible way.

'Well, I guess I'll find out when I get there. For that, I have to reach LVL 30 as quickly as possible.'

Exploring During Lockdown