The SSS class adventurer is a divine cleric
Chapter 103: Kaelen’s rage [1]

Chapter 103: Kaelen’s rage [1]

Back at the forest.

The monster growled.

Its body now pulsed red, veins of molten light crawling across its skin like lava cracking through armor. Its eyes, cold and sharp, never left Kaelen.

Kaelen clenched his fists, his feet bracing against the shattered earth beneath him.

Then, he raised his hand.

"<Sanctuary>."

A radiant dome burst outward, bathing the battlefield in soft, golden light. The broken terrain began to mend within its bounds. The air shimmered with warmth, mana flowing with divine purity. His body, still strained from earlier spells, felt lighter now.

But there was no time to breathe.

"<Cascade of Thorns>."

Shhhhhhkt—shink!

Holy spears of light erupted from the air at random, sharp and bright as starlight. They struck from unpredictable angles, trying to intercept the monster’s movement, cutting, grazing and slowing it.

The monster ducked, weaved, then roared and barreled through a rain of blades, breaking dozens of thorns in a single charge.

Kaelen raised a finger toward the heavens.

"<Divine Judgement>."

Then rushed towards the incoming attack of the monster and with every swing, jab, and palm strike he made, golden arcs followed, and the judging light struck twice. First his fist. Then divine echo. Every movement became a two-hit combo: one physical, one holy.

He blinked.

Flash.

He appeared behind the monster and drove a palm into its ribs. The light echoed and struck again with a blast of force, making the monster stagger.

It spun around with a clawed punch, but he blinked again. Flash.

Now to the left.

Then the right.

Then midair.

He danced like a ghost wrapped in gold, in and out of reach, every attack leaving glowing marks on the monster’s hide. The creature grew more frustrated by the second, slamming, spinning and swiping in wide arcs, but Kaelen didn’t slow down.

Only becoming faster and stronger with each passing of seconds.

He could feel it. Sanctified Wrath’s internal timer was ticking down. The skill was boosting his body and soul. And at its final second, he’d receive the ultimate reward, a burst of overwhelming divine strength from the full reservoir of Heal-over-Time effects stacked on him.

Thirty seconds left.

Kaelen gritted his teeth. His vision blurred at the edges, but his fists didn’t stop. His domain still shimmered. The monster slowed, its movements no longer a blur, Kaelen was adapting, getting more used to his profound strength. Anticipating every move the monster might make and dodging every even before the strikes came.

But then.

The sky darkened.

All at once.

As if someone had taken the sun and crushed it in their palm.

The battlefield dimmed. Shadows spilled across the trees. Kaelen froze mid-motion. The monster paused too, confusion flickering in its glowing red eyes.

"...Neal?"

He didn’t even need the crystal to know.

A heartbeat later.

KRAA-KOOOOM!!!

The sky split open.

A titanic shockwave ripped through the forest like an angry god had struck the world. Trees bent. The air screamed howled like a thousand banshees. Kaelen was knocked back despite his domain, landing hard against a cracked tree trunk.

The aftershock reached him seconds later, a raw pulse of burning heat and sorrow.

"...Neal," he whispered, clutching his chest.

He didn’t need any confirmation to tell him it was Neal.It was without a doubt Neal’s energy that had exploded.

He knew it.

The world had turned silent. Not just from the explosion.

But from the meaning it implied. The situation at the ruins was bad if not worse. A hollow stillness nestled inside Kaelen’s chest, tightening with every breath. He didn’t need the system to confirm it. There were no pings. No messages. No voice in his head telling him what he already knew.

That light...

That detonation...

It split the horizon, tore through the clouds, and burned into the world like a dying god’s scream.

Kaelen staggered.

The tremor hit him a heartbeat later, winds howling, debris flying, the air itself warped by the sheer pressure of the blast. His barrier flickered. Leaves shredded. Even the monster paused, momentarily stunned by the wave of energy washing over the forest like a divine shockwave.

Kaelen stood frozen.

Eyes wide.

Chest hollow.

His lips moved, barely a whisper:

"...No."

He knew that light. He felt it in his bones. He recognized the mana signature buried in the fury of that flare.

That was Neal.

That had to be Neal.

And if it was... then there was no way he walked away from that.

The monster before him gave a low, guttural growl, as if amused by his stillness. Its body pulsed red, feeding off its fury, stepping through the ruined forest like a god of slaughter.

It sensed weakness.

Grief from the opponent and it was the right time to take advantage of it.

Kaelen didn’t flinch.

His fists trembled, not from fear. But from rage. His heart broke at the thoughts of losing Neal. From that deep, splitting ache in his chest that no healing spell could ever fix.

"I told you..." he murmured, voice shaking as the tears welled, but didn’t fall.

"I told you not to always play the hero. Not like this."

His mana surged. His blood burned. A golden light flared around his form, wreathing him in divinity. His domain, still active, pulsed in sync with his heart, faster, hotter, brighter.

The monster lunged.

A blur of red, claws and talons.

Kaelen moved.

With a breath sharp as steel, he blinked, disappearing from where he stood.

Then reappeared above the creature, hand glowing with divine light.

Their clash resumed, but Kaelen was now completely different.

He was much faster, colder and stronger

Every dodge was tight, controlled, and efficient.

Every punch he landed left a dent, not a bruise anymore.

Every strike was precise and deliberate like a surgeon carving pain into flesh.

His silence screamed louder than any battle cry. He didn’t need words anymore.

He would finish this fight as soon as possible.

He had to.

For Neal.

For the promise he’d made.

And for the anger curling in his chest like a second heartbeat.

The monster screamed again, but Kaelen didn’t hear it.