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

The worshippers of Shanasha treated Alex better than he had expected. They did everything he told them to, and listened to his commands without thinking. He asked the cultist leader about it and he explained it to him.

"Did you hear Shanasha's voice back then, right? She speaks with us sometimes during our prayers, and she orders us to listen to you. You are our leader now," the cultist leader said.

That explained a lot. 'So higher forces are trying to make me bring back Shanasha faith into this world. Is it worth it or not?'

They would be labeled as demon worshippers, at least in the Platora Kingdom. Alex had no idea if the other kingdoms thought similarly. There were only a few deities worshiped in the kingdoms, and most of them were controlled by the church of light. Shanasha faith would never have space in the kingdoms.

Speaking with Shanasha