After all that, Avince felt like he’d made progress on his history work — or so he thought. The more he read on the next topic about awakening, the deeper the material seemed to go, revealing complexities and nuances that he’d never considered. It felt like the more he learned, the more he realized just how much he hadn’t known.

He shuffled through his notes, a little groan escaping him as he found his next topic in history: The Formation of Ability-Based Clans and Their Legacy in Awakening. He’d already heard bits and pieces from his mother, Ashna, about clan dynamics, but reading about them in detail was something else entirely.

Avince couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as he read the opening lines of the chapter. His thoughts wandered to his mother, Ashna, and her history with the Everlasting Ice Clan — a lineage that had produced some of the most powerful ice manipulators and conjurers in their nation. It wasn’t a subject his mother often talked about, but when she did, Avince always found it fascinating.

In a sense, it felt strange to him that people would marry based on the compatibility of their abilities, but he understood the logic behind it. The more compatible a couple’s abilities, the greater the potential for their children to inherit or even surpass those abilities. For someone like Avince, whose ability was still a mystery, the thought of pairing up with another capable individual seemed almost absurd — but it was common practice for many, especially those in clans built on such practices.

His mind wandered briefly to his own situation. His parents, powerful as they were, had somehow created his sister, Amyra, whose abilities were already proving to be monstrous in their own right. He wondered just how much of that had to do with their bloodlines, their abilities, and the choices they’d made.

With a sigh, Avince flipped open the history book and began to read.

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The Formation of Clans and the Awakening of Abilities:

Over the century following the appearance of dungeons and the awakening of abilities, the phenomenon of individuals discovering their powers led to the formation of clans—groups of people whose abilities were highly compatible with one another. These clans arose in response to the growing number of powerful and dangerous individuals who realized that, while their powers were extraordinary on their own, they could be significantly amplified when combined with others who shared similar abilities.

The initial formation of these clans came as a result of a social, and sometimes political, necessity. Some saw the ability to marry within the clan as a strategic move, while others felt it was the only way to guarantee their children would inherit potent powers that could be nurtured and expanded upon. As the generations passed, these clans would often grow more powerful, with their members’ abilities becoming even more specialized over time.

One of the earliest examples of such clans was the Dragon Clan, formed by a group of individuals whose abilities were tied to draconic powers. This clan became one of the most powerful in the nation, with individuals possessing the ability to manipulate elemental forces like fire, wind, and lightning in ways that would have been unimaginable for a typical user. Over time, the Dragon Clan became a symbol of strength and prestige, their members often revered by others in society for their abilities and the power that ran through their bloodline.

Next came the Ice Clan, which had ties to those who could manipulate and conjure ice in its purest form. This clan, in particular, attracted people with advanced ice-based abilities, resulting in highly skilled ice manipulators and conjurers. For Avince, this was the clan his mother, Ashna, came from, and it was here that he began to see just how far the practice of intermarrying based on abilities could go.

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Ashna’s mother had a rare, advanced awakening that allowed her to manipulate ice at an astonishing level — not only could she control its movement, but she could also conjure ice from nothing with miniscule amount of mana, a feat that few could match. Her ice-based abilities had pushed her at the peak of A-tier, and despite a past injury that had left her unable to go further, her legacy was one of immense strength.

Avince blinked, remembering a conversation he had with his mother not too long ago. Ashna had mentioned that once her injuries healed, she and her husband, Erwin, would try to delve again. She’d been optimistic, saying there was a real possibility they could both reach S-rank—something that would solidify their place among the strongest. It made sense in hindsight — Erwin’s summoning abilities complemented his mother’s ice abilities, and together, they created a synergy that was rare in the world of dungeon clearers.

But the real eye-opener for Avince came when he thought of his sister, Amyra. She was the living, breathing example of what these powerful clans could produce. Amyra’s ability to summon and control ice monsters, on top of her ice mastery, had made her into a force to be reckoned with. Even her command of creatures attuned to ice was unmatched, and her strength in combat was something that Avince couldn’t ignore. She seemed like an unstoppable monster — a product of Ashna’s bloodline, certainly, but also of the lineage and traditions that had cultivated such power.

The text continued, elaborating on the formation of other elemental clans: the Fire Clan, with its members possessing the ability to manipulate flames at varying degrees of intensity; the Water Clan, whose abilities allowed them to control water to varying methods like increasing pressure and even for healing; the Earth Clan, with users who could shape and control the earth itself; the Wind Clan, who had mastery over the air, manipulating storms and creating violent gusts; and the Lightning Clan, whose members could command electricity to devastating effect.

These clans were not just about the abilities themselves — they were social structures. The clan members would often marry others with similarly powerful abilities to ensure that their bloodlines stayed strong and that their powers grew exponentially with each generation. The children born from these unions were often much more powerful than those born to parents who weren’t from ability-based clans.

As time went on, the competition between the clans grew fiercer. At the top of the current power struggle in the nation stood the Dragon Clan, a nearly unrivaled force in terms of both power and influence. Its members had access to not only raw elemental power but also the ability of increased strength and endurance.

However, the Ice Clan and the Lightning Clan weren’t far behind, constantly vying for second place in the rankings. These two clans had very different strengths — the Ice Clan was known for its defensive and tactical abilities, while the Lightning Clan excelled at fast, overwhelming attacks. Both clans had produced powerful members who had risen through the ranks to become some of the most renowned adventurers and leaders in the nation.

Avince felt a twinge of something as he read this. It wasn’t jealousy, but more a sense of recognition. His family was deeply tied to the Ice Clan, and in a way, they were at the heart of the competition for second place, battling alongside the Lightning Clan. But it was his sister who seemed to embody that power more than anyone else. Amyra was a product of that legacy, a young woman who had inherited both her mother’s formidable power and the potential of a bloodline that was centuries in the making.

The history book seemed to stretch on, each paragraph a deep dive into the intricacies of clan politics, bloodlines, and power struggles. Avince’s mind began to wander as the pages blurred together, but one thing became clear—the complex web of alliances, rivalries, and ambitions that had shaped the world of dungeons and abilities was far from simple.