The SSS class adventurer is a divine cleric
Chapter 97: A ruthless decision

Chapter 97: A ruthless decision

Kaelen’s gaze swept over the battered team, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.

"Everyone, fall back, reinforcements are inbound."

They had done what they could. The wounded were stabilized, their bleeding stopped, their pain dulled, but none were in any condition to keep fighting. Not against that thing.

The casters in charge of teleportation moved swiftly, their hands weaving intricate patterns in the air as they carved a massive spell circle into the scorched earth. The runes pulsed with arcane energy, humming like a gathering storm. One by one, the rogues stepped inside, their faces etched with exhaustion and relief.

Alira stood at the edge, her fists clenched, her eyes burning with defiance. She wasn’t ready to leave. Not while Derek was still out there without anyone to help him.

Suddenly THUD.

Kaelen’s hand struck like a viper, a precise blow to the back of her neck. Her eyes widened, just for a split second, before they fluttered shut, her body slumping forward. He caught her before she hit the ground, his expression unreadable.

Then, in a flicker of motion, he <blinked> vanishing from the teleportation array just as the spell flared to life.

Light erupted, blinding and brilliant. The air cracked.

And just like that they were gone.

Kaelen stood alone in the ruined forest, the weight of his choice settling over him like a shroud. Without hesitation, he broke into a sprint, his boots pounding against the earth as he raced toward the heart of the devastation, toward where Derek was fighting the monster.

His fingers brushed the comm crystal at his throat, his voice low, ironclad.

"When she wakes up... do not let her come back."

It was Alira who had stopped him from going towards Derek but had he gone over ignoring her advice she would have followed suit without any failure and he cannot risk her life when she could barely fight with fears gripping at her throat.

A pause. The wind howled through the trees, carrying the scent of blood and burning magic.

"No matter what she says or does, keep her in place."

Then he was gone, swallowed by the shadows of the forest, running toward a battle he might not survive.

Another five minutes passed. Still no reinforcement.

The communication crystal stayed dead silent. No word from the ruins team. No response at all.

Kaelen clenched his fists. "Damn it! What kind of backup is this? Why did no one come?!"

He looked out into the battlefield. Derek was still standing, still fighting, but barely holding on. Every breath he took was heavy. His blade moved slower with each swing. The monster showed no sign of exhaustion.

Kaelen wanted to help badly but Derek had shouted at him, forbade him from coming closer.

Kaelen understood. He would only be a burden in that fight. Not strong enough to hold his own, not fast enough to react, not safe enough to protect himself.

He tried healing Derek from a distance, channeling all his concentration into the spell. But the moment the healing light touched Derek’s body,

The monster snapped its head toward Kaelen.

Like a predator finally spotting its prey.

Its beady black eyes locked onto him, soulless, vengeful, and furious.

Kaelen’s breath caught.

"...Crap."

His instincts screamed at him before Derek’s voice could.

"Kaelen, run!" Derek shouted. His voice was full of desperation.

The kind of desperation a man feels when he knows death is about to fall on someone he can’t protect.

But it was too late. The monster was already moving.

And in a blur it lunged towards Kaelen.

The ground quaked with every step as it surged toward Kaelen, chains swinging wildly behind it, tearing through trees like they were made of paper. It didn’t care about Derek anymore. It didn’t care about the fight.

It wanted Kaelen.

Kaelen didn’t need to be told twice.

He spun on his heel and sprinted into the forest, dodging between thick tree trunks, his breath ragged, heart pounding so hard it echoed in his ears. He fumbled for the communication crystal, voice shaking as he yelled into it.

"I need help! ASAP! Someone get me the hell out of here!"

Crackling static met him first, then a voice.

"Kaelen? Where are you? We’re prepping a teleport.... give us a location, now!"

Kaelen’s eyes scanned the forest. Everything was shadows, the high trees blocking the sun. No time for landmarks. He turned and saw the faint, broken slope of a cliffside ahead.

"There’s a dead ash tree with no branches! Half a cliff near it mark it! I’ll be there in twenty seconds!"

"Got it. We’ll drop the ring. Don’t stop running!"

Behind him, Derek roared. "You’re not getting him!" His voice cracked like thunder as he threw himself at the monster again. His blade slashed out in a flurry, one, two, three strikes aimed at the legs, the back, the shoulders.

None of them slowed it down.

The monster didn’t even flinch.

It only screeched, a brutal, ear-shattering cry, and swiped backward with one of its lower arms, launching Derek into the trees like a ragdoll.

His armor was cracked, blood leaked from his lip, but he still stood up, full of fury.

And still he chased after the monster, throwing everything he had left to buy Kaelen a few more seconds.

Kaelen didn’t look back.

He couldn’t and didn’t need to, his passive third eye was providing him all the information he needed.

He pushed himself harder, sprinting until his lungs burned and his legs felt like collapsing.

Then, he saw it.

The teleportation ring shimmered faintly in the clearing, laid down by support mages from the camp.

"I see it! I’m almost there!" Kaelen shouted.

The monster crashed through the treeline behind him, snapping thick trunks in its path. The force of its charge sent leaves spinning like shrapnel into the air.

Kaelen leapt forward with everything he had left.

His boot hit the center of the ring just as the light flared.

And in the very next instant

Flash.

He vanished.

A howling gust of energy surged through the clearing, and the monster’s claw slashed empty air.

It stood there, breathing heavily, eyes twitching.

Kaelen was gone.

And Derek, bloodied but grinning with relief, stood at the edge of the clearing still alive, and for the moment, victorious.