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

A pirate captain was the heart of a pirate crew. Alex wanted to be an even better captain to those men. They fought together against the guards of the merchant ship, a skirmish that didn't last long, and one Alex and his crew knew they would win. But it still felt good to be winning.

"Grab the boxes and everything of value. Then, burn the ship!" shouted Alex.

"Yaaaaaa!" the pirates shouted back.

All members of the pirate crew started bringing out boxes filled with goods to Alex's ship. He thought about helping them out, but everything had its limit. Helping to grab the boxes wouldn't make him look good to his crew. So, he just watched, observing the horizon, the waves, and the seagulls flying in the distance. Everything was simultaneously beautiful and real, to the point that Alex had a hard time believing it could be a dream.

"Captain," a female voice echoed, "Will we go to the island today? I think we can reach it in time before nightfall."

Emma? No, Nyvia