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

"We're safe inside the city, but they might follow us," Joseph said.

Inside the city walls, players were unable to fight each other. Only authorized duels were allowed, and those rarely happened.

However, the group of players could follow Alex and his friends outside the city and attack them there. Alex had just discovered that at level 30, an item has a high chance of dropping upon death. It wasn't a guarantee, but Kenji wouldn't lie about such a thing.

"Well, we have a dungeon to explore tomorrow, so let's split up for now," Alex said. "You can do whatever you want, but please get plenty of rest for tomorrow."

"Sure, you can count on us," Mary said, giving Alex a thumbs up. "I'll take good care of this old man Joseph here."

And so, the group parted ways temporarily. Alex was close with his friends during adventures, but nothing forced them to stay together after entering the city.

Thinking of the Worst