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.
*
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 creatures in question were none other than the empty suits of armor! When Alex turned around to face them, he couldn't help but mutter, "I knew those things would get to us." In front of them stood the gargoyle, and behind, six suits of armor, each wielding a different type of weapon but all clad in plate armor.

"What should we do? Even with Harkor here, I don't know if fighting in this position is advantageous for us," said Joseph, his heart racing.

Harkor was indeed powerful, but the enemies could focus on someone else, like Mary or Emma, who were the mages and therefore the most fragile among them. Now that they couldn't use the shrine to resurrect others anymore, dying meant the end of the dungeon for them.

"Let's focus on killing the gargoyle," Harkor yelled as he dashed toward it.

Alex couldn't help but ask, "Can we do it in time? I don't know…"

Sacrifice