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

With slow, deliberate steps, they ascended to the second floor of the castle. If the first floor had already presented them with plenty of enemies, they could anticipate a similar situation on the second floor.

Alex remained hyper-aware of his surroundings, scanning for any potential threats before they could attack him or his group. However, with Harkor's presence, it was difficult for creatures to catch them off guard.

"How dangerous do you think the remaining floors are?" Alex inquired.

Harkor fielded the question, offering his insight, "I believe the challenges will be similar, with comparable enemies up to the fifth floor. Beyond that, things may become more difficult."

Considering the castle had a total of six floors, it implied that the final two floors would likely pose the greatest challenges, according to Harkor. Alex couldn't be certain if that prediction was entirely accurate, but only time would tell.

New Enemies, and PK Reunion