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 acidic water was falling from the hole like a strong stream from a waterfall, spreading quickly across the area, causing Alex's anxiety to reach its peak.

'If I stay here too long, I'll be in trouble,' he reflected, analyzing the situation surgically.

The other vampires in the area didn't care about the acidic water. In fact, the only thing they wanted was Alex's blood, which, despite not being human blood, left them very, very hungry.

Alex, wielding his Umbra Blade, went into combat against those vampires. His movements were as agile as a snake, and each strike with his sword was precise and deadly.

Each blow was filled with shadow energy, and the damage caused by each blow was almost enough to eliminate a vampire instantly! But of course, Alex took the opportunity to bite each vampire, resetting the timer on his temporary buff while increasing the stacks even more.

Against the Clock