The Collector. Book 1

It’s 2037, and 20 years have passed since “first contact.” But instead of resolving old conflicts on Earth, the aliens left behind a reason for new ones: a game that the entire universe is playing. Like us, but from thousands of other planets. The Cradle—a full-immersion consciousness game—has tightly intertwined with real life and the economy, giving users not only entertainment, but also work.

After long preparation, an ordinary guy named Maxim joins the game, but chooses a nonstandard path of development. And unconventional moves lead to a chain of events that push the main character far away from where he planned to go. The desire to level up and earn money turns out to be something much bigger.

A story about how deeply you can crawl into a virtual rabbit hole if you prepare properly first. While you sleep—the alien is swinging!