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A boy who doesn't see himself as quite human begins to learn the truth about his world — and not everyone is pleased about his existence. The story is intended to evolve into a full space opera with elements of magic woven through it.

James thought he would be just another adventurer in the world's most anticipated dungeon-delving VRMMORPG. But when he logs in, he finds out he will not be diving the dungeon — he will be creating it. Things go sideways immediately when he chooses Random as his dungeon type and summons his first mob: a fearsome, bloodthirsty demonic chicken. Still, demonic farm animals are the least of his worries. His AI guide drinks too much and gambles too freely, a mysterious figure is watching his every move, and the Random dungeon keeps producing mobs that defy all expectations.

Angus Bjornson only ever wanted to craft exquisite weapons and armor. After an accident leaves him completely disabled, his children offer him a virtual rig connected to a fantasy world called Alterwelt. Playing on Manual mode rather than Auto, Angus — now known as Hephaestus — can use his lifetime of real smithing experience to create unique items that beat anything on the market. But he soon learns there's a reason the market is flooded with crappy goods: a greedy guild enforces a monopoly on crafting, and they'll do anything to shut down a lone blacksmith cutting into their profits.

Twelve players set off through the online world of Galaktogon, lured by the game owners' promise of an enormous payoff. The question is who will survive to tell the tale — which of the twelve is a potential hero, and which a traitor in the making? A knight or a coward? Each of the twelve will have to choose their path. Each will keep a poker face. But if a billion-pound prize calls your name, you can't conceal your choice.

As the years start running out, you often find that life has left you completely alone. This is what has happened to one military veteran who has lived through many of history's flash points. In order to inject some color into his final days, the former soldier signs a contract with a company that has developed a fully immersive virtual world. Project Alpha Rome is a multi-level city plagued by endless wars between humans and mutants. Under the nickname Volper, the veteran sets out on his path alone — and thanks to his attentive, reflective approach, he begins spotting things other players have missed, raising deeper questions about the true purpose of the project.

Journalist Harriton is assigned to write articles on the virtual world of Fayroll and its developers. He grudgingly accepts — and soon finds himself enthralled by the fantasy world and its quests. As 'Hagen the Warrior', he enters a world where the thirst for success and legendary items spills into reality, and high-stakes bets are made on virtual characters. As Harriton's decisions in-game begin affecting his real life, he is drawn into the attention of powerful players and Moscow elite with a devouring interest in Fayroll's outcome — and discovers that this fantastic world conceals many dangers.

Kali Ling competes in the RAGE tournaments—the Virtual Gaming League's elite competition where the world's best gamers fight to the digital death on national TV. The pain is real, even if the weapons are digital, and every bloody kill is broadcast to millions. Chosen as the first female captain in RAGE history, Kali is at the top of her game—until a teammate overdoses. Now she must confront what the tournament actually is, because the VGL hides dark secrets, and the only way to change the rules is to fight from the inside.

Unable to fully function in society after a life-changing accident, Kevin spends his time in virtual worlds chasing away reality. When the beta test for a new virtual MMO called Monstar Saga goes live — where players can be any fantasy race except human — Kevin joins to carve out a new destiny. What Kevin soon learns is that Monstar Saga is not just a game. He will fall into a new life where monsters live, darker threats lurk just beyond the veil, and the world of Voldor has stakes far more real than he expected.

Jack Kross only wanted to play the game. Now he's fighting for his life. When a mysterious hacker takes control of Hundred Kingdoms, Jack is trapped inside the fantasy VR world along with millions of other players — but in a worse predicament than most. He's cornered in the very tower the terrorists have seized as their base, the only free player left within its walls, while in the real world his body lies in a sweltering room with no relief coming. Playing a low-level profession-based Scavenger class, Jack must craft gear, set traps, and forge uneasy alliances with a deadly dungeon master and an AI he can't fully trust — racing against time to save himself and the millions of players held hostage.

Game capsules transport players to a new world where time is perceived far more slowly — making them more than entertainment; they're extra hours in which to study, work, or relax. Chronicle has become more than a game for governments, businesses, and players alike. When Corbin Landrick finally gets his hands on a ChronPod, he jumps headfirst into his second life. While he struggles to plant both feet firmly on the ground in a world of magic and monsters, he finds out that virtual reality is what you make of it.

Alan Campbell thought he had landed his dream job working on a revolutionary VRMMORPG with Osmark Technologies — until the project was canceled. He has one weekend to dive into an untested world full of intrigue, violence, and corruption to prove that Viridian Gate Online works. But the AIs running the game have their own plans for his soul. Set a year before the events of Viridian Gate Online: Cataclysm, this series takes readers back to when VGO was just a game — or so it seemed.

After years of hard work and a fateful reunion, Frank dives into a new world only to get knocked down again. Cursed and left for dead, he refuses to give in to despair. Rising against the chains that bind him, he faces vile horrors and terrible evil on a treacherous journey to save his companion's soul — finding allies in unlikely places and enemies aiming for his life, all while a kingdom teeters on the edge of turmoil.

Seth Kinnaman's dream was to become the best fighter the world has ever seen. In the semifinals of the biggest tournament on Earth, his opponent lands an illegal blow and puts him in a coma. He wakes up blind. All his dreams are shattered. That's when he's introduced to Bushido Online, a VRMMORPG set in feudal Japan — the land of ninjas and samurai, where mythical creatures roam free. Seth enters the game to keep his skills sharp, but quickly discovers that making friends is easy and making powerful enemies is even easier.

The year is 2375. With the world drained of natural resources, the government places those deemed of low economic value into cryogenic sleep, their minds connected to virtual worlds as digital citizens. Kadia Greene had no interest in virtual worlds — she was top of her class and on the fast track to university. When she is horrified to receive a notice of digitalization, her life begins to fall apart. But as she enters Kaledon, the newest and most realistic fantasy world on the market, Kadia finds her dreams and passion rekindled. A slice-of-life story following the struggles and successes of a Kitsune protagonist, with a focus on alchemy and crafting.

Kragathor is the final guardian of the world's deepest dungeon — an immortal ancient dragon, and terribly bored. His only amusement comes from scrying on adventurer teams in the upper levels. When he hears of a new magic item called a Virmo that projects one's mind into a grand-scale game, he dispatches a minion to acquire one. He logs into a game set in a world that runs on the twin magics of "science" and "technology," and embarks on a new journey as Bob, the Level 1 Human with no class.

Humanity has finally taken the next step into space. Governments run research stations throughout the solar system while private enterprises mine asteroids for rare metals and exotic minerals. However, space remains beyond the reach of the everyday person. In contrast, virtual reality technology has led to an explosion of full-immersion entertainment, and many people turn to VR for the thrill of spaceflight. One game, Parallax Gate, lets players experience living in an interstellar civilization. For maximum realism, its developers created a world solely defined by players' personal skills and ability. Mark Asami, a student of aerospace engineering at MIT, dreams of bringing spaceflight to the masses. To pass time, he plays as Aero Rayne in Parallax Gate with his roommate and their organization, the Temple Wraiths — until a chain of in-game events draws them deeper into the game's world and politics than they ever intended.

After losing his mother and facing his brother's imminent execution, the protagonist has one last gamble: his own life. He enters Euphoria Online in Death March mode — if he survives six months in-game against wyverns, ogres, necromancers, and worse, his brother earns a pardon. If he loses, he's done with losing.

A man broken by despair and depression, Grant Legate finds himself in a once-in-a-lifetime situation after receiving an Ultimate Edition copy of Continue Online. All he wishes for is a distraction from the thoughts plaguing his waking hours. He dives in headfirst, unaware of the AIs' intentions. They offer him the chance to play as one of their own — an NPC deserving of a proper send-off. What he discovers during the journey shakes Grant to his very core.

In the real world, Tina Anderson is invisible and under-appreciated, but in the VR game Forever Fantasy Online she's Roxxy — the respected leader of a top-tier raiding guild. Her brother James is a college drop-out struggling with debt, but in FFO he's famous for completing every quest and collecting the rarest items. When FFO becomes real, wounds stop being virtual, monsters turn cunning, and death might be forever. Separated across a much larger and deadlier world, their only advantage is the skill they spent years building in the game.

Imprisoned for a crime he barely remembers, Gunnar is forced to labor in an underground prison camp. But if he works hard, he earns time in a beta test for the first fully immersive online RPG. Pantheon Online is beyond anything Gunnar has ever experienced, but the game is inextricably linked to his reality as a prisoner — if he fails to perform, things are not going to go well for him. Gunnar must quickly learn to navigate a cutthroat city of thieves and assassins, garner the favor of a goddess, earn his way into a guild, and try not to be the brunt of all the AI's jokes. But there's more going on than he realizes, and the further he progresses, the more he understands the true stakes.