Night Arcanum has always been not as quiet and safe as some liked to describe it. Yes, the city was rich, but as soon as you stepped a little to the side, Arcanum appeared with its ugly side. A city teeming with money, and numerous Guilds constantly squabbling for power, cannot be calm and safe. Once you enter someone else's territory, you may find yourself without a wallet or with a poisoned dagger in your back.

The perfect city for people like me.

I grew up here, on the outskirts of Arcanum, experiencing first-hand both the cruelty of the local streets and the kindness of the hearts of some of its residents. However, my own heart has long since hardened.

I sighed and pulled the black hood over my head. The roof of the local library offered a wonderful view of the city at night, but I didn’t come here to enjoy the architecture. After checking my equipment again, I got down to business. To be honest, this was far from my first entry into the library of the Assembly of Magicians. There will always be some rich guy who wants to get a rare tome for his library. It has already become somewhat routine. Mages came up with new ways of protection, and each time I found a way around it. At first it amused me, but lately it has become boring.

I crept like a silent shadow between the library shelves, which I already knew like the back of my hand. My heightened sense, inherited from my ‘wonderful’ elf dad, literally screamed in my ears about the power of some grimoires. But I wasn't paying attention. I loved money much more than those useless piles of papers.

I turned right, walking along the necessary row. I knew that the book I needed was at the very end, on a special pedestal protected by a magical barrier. And I had a scroll in my pocket with a spell that could remove this barrier.

But what is this?

Protective barrier burst with a loud bang, and some unfamiliar figure grabbed the book before me.

“Stop,” came out of my mouth.

Well, no. This is my loot and I won’t give it up so easily.