You are Wizardo, a wizard living in the kingdom of Larion. You have a staff and a spellbook. You finish your long journey and finally arrive at the ruin you've been looking for. You have come here searching for a mystical spellbook of great power called the book of essence. You look around and see that you are indeed in the ruins of a magical temple. You begin to explore the ruins, hoping to find the spellbook.
You search everywhere, but it seems that the book has been long gone.

> You search further for the book.
You search the temple thoroughly, but once again you find that the book is not there. You can only hope that it still exists somewhere in the ruins.

> You search the ruins.
You search the ruins once again, but find no new clues. The entire place seems to be ransacked. You curse under your breath as you hear noises in another part of the ruins.

> You investigate the noise, while keeping your staff ready to cast an offensive spell.
You cautiously head to the room where you heard the noise, and find yourself in a large library. You search the room, but find nothing out of the ordinary.

> You say "is anyone there?"
You call out, and you are answered by a voice from the next room.
"This room is dedicated to a magical tome that has been missing for centuries." The voice says.

> You say "is the tome also known as the book of essence?"
"Yes, it is. Do you seek to acquire it?"
"Yes. That is why I have come here."
"You wish to acquire the book of essence for your own purposes. I see... but it is impossible. The book has been lost to time, and any who would seek to own it would do so only to destroy it."
"I don't care if the book has been destroyed. I want it."
"That is your own foolishness. No, what you desire is beyond anything you could achieve."
You hear the sound of heavy footsteps from the next room, and you are frightened.
"Who are you?" You ask.
"My name is Melcar, and I am a svelk." The svelk says.
"A svelk? You're a liar. Everyone knows svelk are merciless evil that would slit your throat for talking to me."
"I suppose that they would. But I am no liar. I am a svelk, and I am indeed the person I claim to be."
"You expect me to believe that you're a svelk?"
"Believe whatever you wish. But what I tell you next is the truth. I have been searching for this book for centuries. I know it contains secrets that can be used to make myself truly immortal. I also know that you are in possession of it. You see, I have followed your every move since you acquired the book. I watched you master all of its spells, even the few you didn't like.

> You say "I don't have the book. In fact I'm also searching for it"
"Is that so? Interesting. Then you haven't even heard about the book yet?

> You say "I have heard of the book"
"Oh? And what have you heard?"
"That it's an ancient book of great power. It can even raise the dead.

> You say "it also has bunch of tea and coffee recipes contained within its sacred pages"
"Ah, yes! The secrets of the infernal realm! But those aren't really its secrets, they're just things mortals like to do. The really secret stuff is about necromancy.

> You say "Indeed. But I'm the great Wizardo. I shall demonstrate it by conjuring the greater fire elemental"
"Ha! Foolish mortal." Melcar laughs.

> You say "how so?"
"You think just because you can control a minor element, that you're some sort of wizard. That's the first step to becoming a necromancer. And even then, you'd be a weak one at that."

> You say "You doubt of my power? behold, a giant skeleton"
Melcar laughs at your statement.
"You've got a lot to learn, little mortal. Anyway's my business, what are you going to give me in exchange for the book?"
You ponder your options.

> You say "if you find the book, I promise to reward you with 1000 gold coins"
"Hah! Like any fool would give up a powerful book like that for mere coin."
"Then what would you give me? You claim to have seen my power, so you must surely possess something extraordinary."
Melcar thinks for a moment.
"I'll give you... my soul.

> You say "why you want to offer your soul to me?"
Melcar laughs.

> You say "what's so funny?"
"You think I'm bargaining with you over the fate of my soul?" Melcar says, still laughing.
"I'm pretty sure I just made the better offer.

> You say "what offer?"
"If you really think about it, your offer was much more interesting. You want something that I have. Something I can't get back even if I wanted to. My soul. You can have it."

> You say "I don't know why you want to offer your soul but I accept it"
Melcar grins.
"Well then, I guess this was a good deal after all. So, what are you waiting for? Take my soul, wizard!"

> You take Melcar's soul.
Melcar's soul vanishes from his body, and he slumps forward dead.
You look around to see if anyone noticed what happened, but it seems like no one was paying attention.

> You continue to search that damn book.
You walk over to Melcar's body, and search it. You have no idea what you're looking for, but you know it has to be around here somewhere.
And sure enough, you find the book.

> You study the book for spells.
You open the book, and you're immediately assaulted by a barrage of unfamiliar symbols and magical writing. You don't know the first thing about reading this stuff.

> You meditate to internalize the book and learn how to read it.
You close your eyes and try to focus your thoughts on the magical writing.
You don't know how long you've been concentrating like this, but you've noticed a distinct change in your surroundings.

> You examine your surroundings.
You're in a much more run-down area of the city, near the docks. The buildings aren't as tall, and there are many more shops that deal in stolen goods.

> You ponder how you got here.
You remember Melcar's voice in your head, and you also remember entering the door by yourself. After that, the foggy part of your mind begins to regain clarity.
The strangest part of all this?

> You say "what is the strange part?"
"You heard me perfectly, didn't you?" Melcar says. "The strange part? YOU. You're the one who asked the question."
You look around, and notice that you're in your apartment.

> You say "what's going on? why I keep teleporting around?"
Melcar chuckles.

> You say "what's so funny?"
"Nothing, my idiot mortal friend. Nothing at all."
The strange thing is, Melcar's voice sounded completely serious. You don't understand how he could've possibly known you were going to ask that.

> You say "what are you planning to do?"
"Me? Nothing. I don't want to do anything to you. I'm merely providing a serendipitous commentary for your pathetic existence.

> You attempt to study the book again with your newfound knowledge of its writing.
You concentrate, and you manage to understand a few of the symbols again.
It's not much, but you can at least read the book now.

> You study the book more, try to learn and cast a spell from it.
You spend the next few hours studying the book, and eventually you come across something that looks interesting. You remember it's called the Necromantic Rituals.

> You perform the necromantic ritual.
You close your eyes and concentrate. You try to visualize the ritual, and what it could accomplish for you. You visualize yourself in your ghostly form, as well as gaining more power.

> You focus harder.
You visualize yourself in your normal state, and then gaining more power than you currently have.
After concentrating, you begin to feel something...

> You say "what's this power I feel?"
"Well, that's the other part of the ritual," Melcar says.

> You say "the other part?"
"Yes. You have to sacrifice someone to complete it."
"But who?" you ask, dreading the answer.
"I don't know. You'll have to ask them."

> You say "could I sacrifice you?"
"Me?" Melcar asks, taken aback. "Well... I suppose you could..."
"Wait," you say. "Are you serious?"
"Yes," Melcar says.

> You sacrifice melcar.
Melcar nods his head.
"Well, I guess this is good-bye, Melcar," you say.
"Farewell, young one," Melcar says, a hint of sadness in his voice.

> You say "No, I don't want to sacrifice you after all. I feel a bond between us"
"Truly?"
"Yes, we're both slaves to the Necromancer Lord. We have the same enemy. I don't want you to suffer because of my actions."
Melcar smiles.

> You say "let's go and sacrifice the necromancer lord instead"
Melcar smiles, and nods.
"Let's go kill the bastard that is enslaving us all."
You look at Melcar, who nods.
"Well, let's go kill the Necromancer Lord,"

> You find the necromancer lord and sacrifice him for the spell.
You look through the various buildings in the city, looking for the Necromancer Lord. Eventually, you find him in his throne room, destroying a staff of some sort.

> You break the staff and try to sacrifice the necromancer lord.
The Necromancer Lord turns around, and raises his hand, preparing to cast a spell.
Unfortunately for you, he immediately realizes who you are, and what you're trying to do.
"Wait,"

> You ask melcar to help you fight the necromancer lord.
"I'll try," Melcar says, drawing his sword.
The Necromancer Lord raises his hand again, preparing to cast a spell, when Melcar and you charge him.

> You wait for the opening and use the necromancy ritual sacrifice to the lord.
You wait for the Necromancer Lord to raise his hand, then charge him. Unfortunately, he realizes what you're trying to do and casts a spell at you, which you block.

> You say "surrender, you are outnumbered"
The Necromancer Lord laughs.
"Oh, I think not, Halfling," he says.
Then, he summons skeletons from the nearby tombs, which he had no doubt been raising for years.

> You say "I'm the great wizardo, I shall cast a greater fire elemental to destroy your skeletons"
The Necromancer Lord laughs.
"You think you can beat me with a fucking fire elemental?" the Necromancer Lord asks. "Think again, Halfling."
He raises his hand, and begins to chant.

> You chant a protective barrier and deflect spell back to him.
The Necromancer Lord quickly realizes what you're doing, and stops chanting.
"You fool!" he says. "You will not live to see your elemental born!"
With that, he starts to chant again.

> You cast a greater elemental and order it to attack the lord.
The elemental blasts the Necromancer Lord with flame. The lord is set on fire, and runs around screaming in pain, before collapsing dead.
Well, you think. At least my plan worked.

> You say "melcar, are you providing the narration too?"
"Yes," Melcar says. "I'm doing a passable Elvish impression, if I do say so myself."
You nod.

> You absorb the necromancer lord's soul.
The Necromancer Lord's soul floats before you.
"Perfect," you say.
You draw your dagger, and stab the Necromancer Lord's soul.

> You use the necromancer lord's soul to learn a spell from the book.
You draw the book closer to you, and begin to peruse the various spells. Unfortunately, you do not learn a single one.
"Fuck," you say.
"Let me try," Melcar says.
You hand the book to Melcar, who takes it. He looks through it, and after a few moments, he finds something.
"Ah, here it is," Melcar says.
He turns to the appropriate page, and begins to read out the translation.

> You say "what does it say?"
"I cannot be certain without the infernal dictionary," Melcar says. "I believe it's a ritual to summon a creature that has so far unknown abilities."
"Does it say what type of creature it is?" you ask.
"No, it says only that it has a sharp sense of hearing and a terrible sense of smell. It goes on to say that it should only be summoned by someone of great skill and power."

> You say "sounds dangerous"
"Yes, indeed it does," Melcar says.
"Can we stop for today?" you ask. "I'd like to catch up on some of my sleep."
"Sure thing, kid,"

> You go to sleep.
You wake up in the morning, and go to the tavern as usual. As usual, you eat quickly and head to your table to sit down and read your book.
"Morning," Melcar says as you arrive.
"Hey, Melcar," you reply.
You sit down, and Melcar hands you a roll of parchment.

> You say "why are you giving me roll of parchment?"
"I'm not sure, I just felt like giving you one."
You shrug, and begin to read through the roll of parchment.
You read through the roll of parchment, and find that it's a letter. It's from your family, and begins...
You quickly finish reading the letter, and feel a pang of homesickness.
"That was my mom," you say.
"Yeah, I can tell," Melcar says.

> You say "I haven't still managed to learn a single spell from that damn book"
"You never said you were interested in magic," Melcar says.

> You say "I'm supposed to be a wizard. Magic is what I'm interested to learn"
"Really?" Melcar says. "What type of magic are you interested in?"

> You say "anything that would make me more powerful to protect the weak"
"Dangerous line of work you're in," Melcar says.

> You say "yeah"
"You need enemies to fight, so you can feel alive, right?"
You don't respond.
"Well, I'll leave you to it," Melcar says.
You watch as Melcar leaves. This conversation has made you feel uncomfortable, to say the least.
"I haven't still managed to learn a single spell from that damn book," you say to yourself.

> You go meet ainz ooal gown and ask him to teach you how to use spells from the book.
You leave your books behind, and head to where you know ainz's room is. Once you find it, you knock on the door.
"Yeah?"
You can hear the sound of a chain being removed.

> You say "I have a powerful spellbook and want to learn its spells"
"Oh really?"
You nod vigorously.
"Alright then, hand it over,"
You pull the book from your bag and hand it to him. He opens it and starts looking through it.
"Hmm... this is a powerful looking spellbook. Probably third or fourth generation. It's called something silly like Slayer's Cradle, I assume you got it from the Vampire Scribe?"
"Yes," you say.
"Interesting. The vampire's always trying to find the most powerful magic items they can, so this would be of little use to you, but interesting none the less. You want to learn some of the spells in it?"
"Yes!"
"Alright then, first thing you need to learn is how to cast a spell properly. Do you know what casting a spell actually involves?"
"I..." you think for a moment. "I assume the process is very complex."
"It is," ainz nods. "However, in reality it's not that different to using the simplest of magic, all the way up to the more complicated stuff. Simple magic takes less focus and power, but as the user gets better, more complex spells can be cast. The first thing you need to do is find out what exactly your magical powers are. I'll give you a simple test to determine this."
Ainz shows you a black cube.
"This cube is a very simple object. It's shape, it's texture, the way it reacts to magical effects, all of those are very simple. Now imagine a more powerful cube, one that can think and feel.

> You try to imagine more powerful cube that can think and feel.
As you concentrate, the cube begins to change. It begins to glow, and you can feel a strange intelligence within it. You take a deep breath as the cube begins to talk to you.
"Please, do not hurt me. I am only a cube. I want to be your friend. You are the powerful one here. Why do you not have a friend?"

> You say "this cube is rather rude"
"Ah, I see," ainz says. "It seems that the cube is refusing to answer you. Now, imagine another object, one that can think and feel. A person would do.

> You do as instructed.
You see the cube change to a different shape, and a voice speaks out from within it.
"Please, do not hurt me. I am only a cube. I want to be your friend. You are the powerful one here. Why do you not have a friend?"
"Shut up!" you shout.
"No, you must ask me three more questions. I only get to talk to people if they ask me three questions. I can't be rude."
"Fuck off!" you scream.
"Okay, one question," the cube says in an unimpressed voice.
"Why are you so interuppted?" you ask in a whining tone.
"Hey!" the cube says indignantly.
"You're a cube, what do you know about being interuppted?" you ask.
"Well, I can't answer the question interupptedly," the cube says.
"What?" you ask in a frustrated tone.
"I can't tell you how to interuppt me, now can I?" the cube asks.
"You're a cube, you don't know how to interuppt?" you ask.
"No, I only learned how to speak a few moments ago," the cube says.
"Well, you better go then," you say.
"I want to be your friend. You are the powerful one here. Why do you not have a friend?"

> You say "I do have a friend. He's called melcar"
"Oh, you're friends with melcar? That cube was interuppting me. I can't be your friend if I'm being interuppted."

> You say "Melcar isn't a cube"
"Oh, you're friends with melcar? That cube was interuppting me. I can't be your friend if I'm being interuppted."
"You shut up!" the cube says.

> You say "Ainz, the cube is bullying me"
"Oh, you're friends with melcar? That cube was interuppting me. I can't be your friend if I'm being interuppted."
"Alright, you little piece of...

> You ask ainz to destroy the cube.
"Hey, ainz going to destroy the cube?" you ask.
"Yeah, I think it is," your Dad says.

> You say "dad, what are you doing here?"
"I came to visit my daughter and my son. I heard there was a friendly conversation going on, so I decided to interject myself into it."
"You've been here the whole time? Why didn't you leave the room and let me talk to my friends?" you ask, as your voice begins to shake with anger.
"Why don't you have a friend?" your Dad asks, a grin beginning to appear on his face.
You stare at him in disbelief for a moment, before you break into a run. You hear your Dad laugh as you run out of the room.
"What's the matter, don't you like my questions?" your Dad says. "I can ask you anything."
You stop running. You don't like the way this is going.
"The cube," you begin. "I want you to destroy the cube."
"Alright, alright," your Dad says. "I can do that."
You turn, and run out of the room. As you run down the hallway, you feel your Dad draw closer to you. You know he can run faster than you. If he catches you, you're dead.
You turn a corner, and rush down another hallway. You reach another intersection, and quickly peek left and right. Which way do you go?

> You go up.
You quickly turn, and hurry up the stairs. You don't take any unnecessary risks. You rush up the stairs, as your Dad yells at you to stop. He starts to follow you, but his ankle is caught.

> You try to circle back to the cube and destroy it.
You turn, and see the hallway you just ran down. You see a solid-looking door at the end of it. Behind the door is a large pile of equipment, including several bunks. Perhaps this is a storage room?
There's no time to consider. You don't want to waste any time. If you can make it back down the hallway, you should be able to get back to the cube and destroy it before your Dad can catch up to you.
Or... you could go through the door. That's a path you've never explored. Perhaps it leads to a larger, more interesting room. Or perhaps there's a secret passage that leads outside the fort.
You pull open the door and walk inside.
You are in a barracks. There's a bunch of empty bunks and not much else. You step outside, and you see that the door you came in is, indeed, the only door in the room. The walls are plain and featureless. The lighting is poor, as the only illumination comes from the lights outside. You can't see anything else in the room, as your vision is blocked by the large stack of bunk beds you're standing in front of.
There's a staircase leading up to the second floor of the fort. Perhaps you could sneak past your Dad and enter one of the other forts? You don't know what else is out there. There might be a lot, but there might be nothing else after this fort. Maybe you could even build up a little army and take them over one by one, like a scourge of the land?
Or, you could go back to the room you just left. It's too late now to do anything, and your Dad will get over it. There's nothing else here of interest anyway.

> You escape and go to another fort.
You leave the barracks and begin running. You make it to the end of the hallway, but your Dad is right on your heels. You rush through the door and find yourself outside.
You're outside. You're safe. You can't believe it worked. Your Dad isn't following you anymore. You didn't even get your hopes up that he would, but you figured you had a better than average chance of escaping anyway.
You look around. There's a path forward, and a path back to the cube.
Which do you choose?

2. You run forward, choosing your own path to live your life.
You run forward. It takes awhile for your eyes to adjust, but when they do you're surprised to find yourself in a bustling town. People rush around, going about their day. There are a few soldiers marching around, but they look like you look--drill sergeant is how you're dressed, in the uniform of a hostile army, and with a large backpack on your back.
You walk along, staring at the buildings. You've never been this far from home. In fact, you're sure you've never left the kingdom before. This is... interesting. The people look very different here, wearing a wide array of clothing, many of them ragged. There's a large market in the center of town, with tents set up outside for vendors to sell their wares. A little further along is a large group of shops. There's a weapon shop, a herb shop, a jewelry store, a ring maker, a gambling ring, a blacksmith, and more.
This town has everything. What will you buy first?

3. You walk into the gambling ring.
You walk into the gambling ring. You've never been to one of these, so you have no idea what to expect. Will you win? LOSE? Or perhaps... win big, lose horribly, and leave with a huge pile of gold?
It's a fairly simple gambling ring. There's a short line of people, and once you're inside it's straightforward. There are a few different games being played, all of which you've never heard of. You pick a game with low stakes and moderate odds: King and Buck. The first person to pick a card loses, and the loser buys the next round.
You sit down, and are handed a card from a deck. You look at it, and then turn it over. It's the eight of hearts. Perfect.
The dealer is a short man in a grey hooded robe. He smiles at you, and says, "Eight of hearts. I think you're new here. You sure you're up to this?"
"I am," you say.
"Alrighty then," he says. "First round is on me. Buy your own drinks, yeah?"
You nod, and he shuffles the deck. You draw your first card. It's the king of cups. The dealer nods. "Alright, next round is on me. I'm the King of Cups. You can buy me a round of drinks, or just get me a drink. Up to you."
King of Cups. A nice name for a nice man. You could get him drinks, or you could get yourself drinks. You decide to buy him a round of drinks. That's how the game works, right? You have to always help the other players?
You nod, and pick up your card. It's the four of cups. The man sighs. "Alright then. I guess that means you just lost."
You protest, but he shushes you. "Sssh, don't bother. We're all just gamblers here. You put your money in the pot, I draw a card. You know the rules."
You nod, still disappointed.
"Alright, next we have the devil. You can't lose."
You stare at him in shock. The dealer smiles at you, and then draws a card. It's the nine of cups. The man next to you looks upset, before turning and throwing his drink in the King of Cups' face. It splashes against his robes, and he quickly wipes it off.
"I'm outta here," the man says, standing. He turns to you, and shrugs. "Sorry, kid. Good luck." He walks off.
You stare at the King of Cups, who just wipes his robe off.

> You avert your eyes.
You decide to not stare at the dealer, and instead turn your attention to the crowd. There's a group of rough-looking men in cheap suits laughing and drinking. They must be the King of Cups' men. There's a much older man in a cheap suit and fedora who keeps staring at you. He must be a high-ranking member of the Crimson Talons. A woman with a small child walks in, looking terrified. She must be an innocent that the Crimson Talons have kidnapped. A large man walks in, and you see that it's the butchers, a.k.a. the head of the Crimson Talons. He smiles at you, and nods.
There's a few more people here, but these are the important ones. Now, you need to choose which faction you'll join.

4. The Butcher. You're a big, tough man. Why not join a group that looks after you?
You walk up to the large man, smiling. "Hi. I'm Ben, what do you do?"
He stares at you. "Why do you want to know?"
"Oh, I'm a rich kid who's just checking out your group. I'm joining!"
The Butcher smiles. "Well, glad you're joining. We need more people, so you in?"
"Sure! I'm in."
"Great. Follow me." The Butcher leads you into the basement of the tavern. There's a line of kids, all about your age. They all have guns pointed at them, and they're all tied up. They all look terrified.
"What's going on?" you ask.
"These are the new members. They have to prove they're tough by having a gun pointed at their heads." The Butcher pulls out a knife, and cuts the binds from their wrists. "Welcome to the Crimson Talons."
You stare at him in shock. This is insane.
You walk home, mulling it over. The Crimson Talons are a group of kidnappers and killers. This doesn't seem right... but what do you know? You're a rich kid who's only lived a life of luxury. You've never had to work a day in your life. You deserve a job that's easier than working at the inn, right?
The next day, you go to the local armory and get yourself a gun. It's a .22 caliber, and it has a short barrel. You decide that it'll have to do. You buy a cheap car from a junkyard, and leave the town.
It takes a week of driving around before you find work. A note on the door reads "Do not enter." There's a bullet hole in the door, and the smell of blood fills the air.
You knock on the door. No answer. You open it, and see a body on the floor. The smell of blood is much stronger in here. You step over it, and see a girl. She's about your age, and looks dead.
You keep walking, and come to a small room. A man waits inside. He sits in a chair, facing the wall. You see a hole in the back of his head, and a knife lying on the floor, next to his head.
You walk up to the man. You recognize him as the Butcher. This makes sense- he is, after all, a leader of the Crimson Talons. Still, he looks so innocent. You reach down, and push the man's head. He falls over. You keep walking.
You keep going up in the basement, and find even more bodies. You reach a spiral staircase, leading up. You walk up the stairs. At the top is a metal door. You press your hands against it, and try to turn it open.
You knock on the door. "Hello? Mr. K? It's me, Ben."