Avince slumped over his notes, feeling the weight of this study session. He hadn’t anticipated that catching up on his coursework would be this exhausting. After hours pouring over the intricacies of his history subject, he had to admit he’d spent more time on it than planned. He groaned, knowing he still had two more subjects to cover and very little mental energy left to dig deep. With a reluctant sigh, he decided to skim through the material for Mana’s Application in Society and Ethics of Power and Ability Use, hoping he could get the gist without diving too deep.
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Flipping through the section on Mana’s Application in Society, Avince’s eyes widened as he read about a city built around a dungeon situated inside an active volcano. The thought of people intentionally building a settlement in such a dangerous place was mind-boggling. But as he read further, the purpose became clear. The dungeon, it turned out, was home to powerful fire giants whose mere presence created a steady flow of fire mana — a resource the city had learned to harness.
This city, known as Ignis, had grown into a thriving center of mana-based technology and export. The fire mana harvested from the dungeon wasn’t just used to power the city itself; it was also stored and transported to other parts of the nation. People from Ignis had even developed techniques for refining fire mana into a concentrated energy source, powering everything from street lights to large-scale manufacturing. The abundance of fire mana had transformed what might have been a small settlement into a bustling city, one that served as a vital hub for trade and innovation.
Avince marveled at the ingenuity it must have taken to not only build a functioning city within a volcanic region but also harness its natural resources for everyday use. Yet, he also couldn’t ignore the risk. He thought of the fire giants lurking within the dungeon, creatures whose power was immense and difficult to contain. There had to be a delicate balance at play, with mages and engineers constantly working to keep the fire mana flowing while also preventing a catastrophic breach.
This was the very essence of Mana’s Application in Society — finding ways to integrate mana into civilization, making it a resource not just for combat, but for progress and daily life. Even though he’d only skimmed through the material, Avince felt a flicker of inspiration. Maybe one day, he’d visit Ignis and see for himself how they managed to turn such a volatile source of mana into a sustainable lifeline for their city.
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Moving on, Avince took a breath and opened the section on Ethics of Power and Ability Use. As he scanned through the chapter, he noticed the title of the current topic: The Fall of the Crimson Clan. Intrigued, he leaned forward.
The Crimson Clan had once been one of the most formidable groups in the United Radiant Country , ranked within the top five clans due to their powerful, blood-based abilities. Initially, the clan was known for their unmatched combat skills, their power fueled by an ability that allowed them to manipulate blood to enhance their physical strength and endurance. However, there was a hidden truth to their powers, something that the clan kept secret from society for years: their ability wasn’t just blood manipulation. It was a vampire transformation ability.
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Avince shivered as he read about the implications of this power. The transformation ability granted its users enhanced speed, strength, and healing, but it came with a cost — an insatiable craving for human blood. To avoid detection, the Crimson Clan operated in secret, feeding off kidnapped victims or willing followers, maintaining the facade of an elite group while hiding their true nature. For a long time, they managed to keep their cravings hidden from the public, but rumors started to spread as people went missing.
The text went on to describe the moment the clan’s secret finally unraveled. Several hostages managed to escape, revealing the Crimson Clan’s dark practices to the world. The shock and horror that swept through society was immense. An emergency summit was called, and the Alliance, along with the powerful coalition of clans within the country, declared the Crimson Clan a terrorist group. Their ranks were hunted down, and many were captured or killed. Those who survived fled into hiding, becoming fugitives feared as much as they were despised.
Avince’s pulse quickened as he read further. The danger of this ability lay not only in the craving for blood but in the fact that powerful members of the clan could turn others into vampires with their bite. This aspect of their ability was especially feared, as it had the potential to spread like a disease, turning victims into more vampires and, if left unchecked, threatening the very fabric of society.
Fortunately, the Alliance was well-equipped to deal with such threats. That Country’s most powerful clan was the Celestial Order, known for wielding holy magic. It didn’t surprise Avince that a clan specializing in holy magic, one of the rarest and most potent abilities, was at the top. Holy magic was revered for its strength against curses, dark creatures, and, evidently, vampires.
Holy magic, classified as Tier 3 alongside rare abilities like life and death manipulation, was powerful enough to counteract the effects of vampirism, purging afflicted individuals and preventing further spread. Avince was fascinated — and a little awed — at the mere thought of such a power. Reading about the Celestial Order’s success in quelling the Crimson Clan’s influence was reassuring, especially since his own country was thankfully far removed from their territory. It seemed that the threat of vampires was mostly a problem for the United Radiant Country, whose members had the means and skills to handle it.
Still, the ethical debate remained at the heart of the lesson. Ethics of Power and Ability Use challenged students to think about the moral implications of abilities like vampirism, powers that could be both a gift and a curse. The textbook posed questions for reflection: Could the Crimson Clan have managed their cravings through alternative means? Was it right for society to banish an entire group based on the potential dangers of their abilities? And perhaps most importantly, did the ends justify the means when it came to the Alliance’s efforts to eradicate the clan?
As Avince closed the book, he felt the weight of those questions pressing on his mind. The world of abilities was complex, a delicate balance between power and responsibility. While he couldn’t fully relate to the ethical struggles of a vampire clan, he could appreciate the dilemma from the perspective of someone whose own abilities were still taking shape.
Avince leaned back in his chair, stretching his tired muscles. He hadn’t intended to spend so long on these subjects, yet he found himself drawn into the material despite his exhaustion. There was so much to learn, not just about how to use mana and abilities, but about how to understand and navigate the complexities of a world where abilities had consequences beyond personal gain.
Closing his textbooks, Avince took a deep breath, the weight of all he’d learned settling over him. There was power in knowledge, and maybe — just maybe — he’d found something even more valuable than the lessons themselves: a deeper understanding of the world he lived in, of the hidden forces shaping it, and of his own potential place within it.