The Dark Herbalist

Timothy is offered an unusual deal: work as a tester for a popular MMORPG — unpaid, long hours — for the vague promise of mysterious future perks. He accepts, because playing games is the one thing he's truly good at, and because someone very special to him already lives a virtual life. The question is whether the mysterious future bonus is worth his while.

Timothy has found work as a tester for a popular MMORPG — and earns good money doing what he loves. But he is no typical player. His talents set him apart from the millions of others, which makes him a target: many players dislike him for his achievements and hunt him down out of envy. With the whole world against him and only his beloved sister and a few trusted friends as allies, Timothy must decide whether to make peace, sink to their level, or fly ever higher on the wings of success.

The great hunt is over and Timothy kept his prize — but glory and adrenaline are powerful narcotics, and life without them turns gray and bleak. With his relationship at risk and his tolerance for boredom at zero, Timothy throws himself into the most dangerous adventures available, walking the blade of a knife to prove his previous success was no coincidence.

What is it like for a small goblin herbalist to be thrust into the role of the Dark Sovereign — the main antagonist for hundreds of millions of players in Boundless Realm? What is it like to command an army of giants, cyclopes, skeletons, ghosts, and other hellspawn who have little regard for their modest overlord? Our hero didn't want this fate, but there is no way back now. And the longer he plays, the more he understands that this world is far more complicated than it appears — and that he is merely a pawn in someone else's game.