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 saw no reason to continue fighting against the drunk man. The tavern owner went to speak with him as well, so continuing to fight would just be dumb.

"Sure, no problem. I didn't even know this guy or his wife," Alex said.

The tavern owner chuckled, "Yeah, I thought so. Anyway, sorry for this inconvenience. Can I offer you some drinks?"

After the display of skill exhibited by Alex, no one in the tavern wanted to pick a fight with him. Everyone dispersed and returned to their tables.

Alex sat in a bar chair and grabbed a few mugs of beer. He couldn't get drunk—at least not with normal drinks—so he wasn't worried about drinking a lot of beer.

During the drinking session, Alex took the chance to ask the tavern owner about the man on the second floor. "Could you tell me if that man over there is looking for help? I heard some rumors that he might want to hire people for a job."

A Job