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

Joseph's house was massive, and it had everything Alex could think of. One of the things that caught his attention was the library and a room with all kinds of art works, like paintings, sculptures, etc.

"So you are into this art stuff?" Alex asked.

The person showing the place to him was Mary, Joseph's granddaughter. "Yes, kind of. I did a few paintings that are here, actually."

"Wow, really?" Alex said as he leaned forward to check one of the paintings, and on the bottom, it had the name Mary written on it.

"It was once my hobby, and now I make some money out of it. Not that I need that much, my grandfather is rich," Mary said.

She had a carefree life, having the choice to do anything she enjoyed without thinking about making money with it. Alex was kind of jealous of her, yet only for a moment. He was not that type of person.

Tournament is Happening