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

"Why do they wear different armor?" Alex asked his friends as he stared at the guards patrolling the gate.

"Now that you mention it," Divine Flower said, "If I remember correctly, both guards from Eldoria and Crystal use similar colors, and there's a symbol on their armor too!"

The symbol she was referring to was the one from the Platora Kingdom. Each city had its own ruler, but the king was the one everyone listened to, and all military had to wear the symbol, as they were all part of the same army.

But the guards patrolling the port city were not using the symbol and colors from the Platora Kingdom, which seemed odd.

When they got close to the gate, two guards came to speak with them. It was a normal thing in all cities due to the high number of adventurers, merchants, and travelers. The guards needed to know if a person was dangerous before letting inside the city, and merchants with prohibited items could not enter as well.

Port Jeria, Adventurer's Guild