"Hey, I know, maybe you could also cast barriers that we can use as footholds to jump about in mid-air! Well, Kai and I don't really need that since we can fly, not to mention propel ourselves about with Negative Energy, but it could be really useful for our other members," Mused Aria with a grin.

"I, um...I think I can p-pull that off, b-but my range is limited. I-In a standard formation, Protectors' Spells c-can reach a few meters ahead of the f-front line, s-so we can't do m-much once the front line r-rushes ahead to attack the Monsters," Pointed out Iqra.

"Yeah, that's true, Protectors usually only come into play for the front line at the start of an encounter with a group of Monsters, after that, they usually switch to focusing on protecting the mid and back lines, if necessary. Alright, then, maybe we should consider having you in the mid line," I proposed, after taking a moment to mull it over.

"Um, I-I don't mind that, but i-is that really okay? S-Support Mages usually s-specialize at the back line, r-right?"

"Ordinarily, yeah, but that doesn't necessarily have to be the case. Yeah, the standard methods are tried and tested, but that doesn't mean they're the only options, nothing wrong with going a bit unconventional if it works.

Your original Spells are a great example of that, you wouldn't have developed them if you'd stuck with the standard, pre-existing Spells," Chimed in Aria.

"Exactly, so long as you don't get carried away, a bit of experimenting and tinkering could yield some pretty great results.

Why do you think Arcane Hunters are so powerful? Is it just because they have unusual, unique abilities?

That's certainly a part of it, of course, but primarily, I believe it's the fact that they have no choice but to get creative and experimental in order to figure out how to make best use of their Magic," I added, as Iqra nodded thoughtfully.

"Huh...I wonder if Arcane Hunters have an inherent knack for developing Spells and Skills? I mean, if you exclude Arcane Hunters, there really aren't a lot of active Hunters who have created their own original Spells, so it's not something just anyone can do," Pointed out Aria curiously.

That's a good point...Hunters who have standard Classes that break away from the established norms are pretty rare.

Those who create their own original Spells or Skills, those who can freely cast their Magic without restrictions or chanting, there are very few such Hunters in the world.

Aria's one such Hunter, of course.

Her original Skills aside, the fact that she focused on Agility over Strength and Vitality despite being a Brawler, she broke away from the norms of her Class pretty much from the get-go.

And now there's Brid and Iqra too.

Brid's very much unconventional, to a drastic extreme, as far as Healers go.

He's the only one besides Aria, that I know of, who's developed a power boosting technique, with his Limit Breaker Spell.

And Iqra's created several original Spells, and she seems pretty confident that she'd be able to develop more based on the suggestions we've given her.

Evidently, she perceives her Magic differently to other Protectors, on a fundamental level.

That must be it, it's a matter of perception and comprehension, if you can understand your abilities and how they work, you'll be able to truly master it in ways that most others couldn't even imagine.

"Are there any other original Spells that you're working on developing?" Inquired Aria curiously.

"Y-Yes, actually...I-I got some inspiration when I-I watched the X-Ace Clash. S-Specifically, watching Jaden Xeno...th-that force field defense he used, I-I've been trying to come up with a Spell b-based on that," She responded awkwardly.

"Oh, I get it, like a barrier cloak that envelops your entire body? Huh...if you can pull that off, and combine it with your other original Spells, you'd have a seriously formidable defense.

Basically, a suit of armor that reflects attacks or triggers shockwaves when struck," I surmised with a sense of intrigue.

"I-I can't fight, though...I-I'm okay at evading, b-but I just d-don't have the knack f-for combat," She shook her head nervously.

"That's fine, it's still worth working on. Let's say you end up in a situation where there's no one to protect you, and you need to survive. Having a strong defense like that would make it easier to escape," I pointed out objectively.

"A-Alright, I'll k-keep working a-at it."

"Make sure not to push yourself too hard, though. There's no need to rush, just take it slow and steady," Aria advised her with a smile.

"Yeah, you're probably already way ahead of most, if not all, other Protectors, so don't feel pressured. We aren't asking or expecting you to master a bunch of new abilities overnight, we know that it'll inevitably take time," I added with a nod of agreement.

"B-But I...I can't really d-do anything in a raid b-besides defend, so I-I have to make s-sure my Magic is a-as strong as possible!" She responded with a tense, nervy look on her face.

"What are you talking about? That's perfectly normal for a Support Mage. I've been on a number of raids where some of the Hunters in the party didn't need to do anything, and no one held that against them.

Actually, it's a good thing...for example, if a Healer doesn't use their Magic even once during a raid, that means no one got injured, which is obviously a good thing," I pointed out.

"I-Is...is it r-really okay? I-I don't want to b-be useless a-and end up b-being a liability..."

"That's fine too. The best way to avoid making certain mistakes is to make those mistakes once. Don't be afraid to screw up...actually, in my experience, the more you worry about not screwing up, the more likely you are to end up screwing up," Replied Aria wryly.

"While we do appreciate how hard you work and how driven you are to improve, you'll just end up burning yourself out if you're only doing so because you're pressuring yourself to try and meet unreasonable expectations anyone might have on you," I stated with a smile, before adding, "From now on, exert your efforts at your own pace and discretion. Got it?"

"I-...o-okay. I, um...th-thank you."

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