The SSS class adventurer is a divine cleric

Neal finally donned his shimmering black-gold armor, drawn straight from his system inventory. The moment it settled on him, the blazing aura around his body receded slightly, the golden-blue flames folding inward like a divine furnace on standby.

He rolled his shoulders, flexed his new arm, and muttered, "Feels good to be whole again."

The two Epic-ranked Awaken beside him shared a look, then one gestured toward the sky.

"We should head back. This battlefield's done. Let's regroup and assess.

Everyone agreed.

Then in a blink of light and wind, they reappeared at the main camp, the air was calm, but thick with residual tension.

Kaelen barely had time to exhale, when instinct screamed.

Something fast, small and furious..

WHAP.

And in pure reflex he caught it with one hand shooting up in a blur of motion.

It was a small delicate hand trying to give him a nice tight slap to the face.

More specifically, Alira's slap.

His fingers wrapped around her slender wrist mid-air. His eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no."

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no.

Alira's face twisted with disbelief. "You caught it?!"

Kaelen's mind screamed.

Let it land, Kaelen. Should've let it land. You IDIOT.

He slowly looked down at her wrist in his grip.

Then looked back up at her.

She wasn't angry anymore.

Her voice was calm. Too calm.

"You told me you'd stay back. That you'd only heal."

Kaelen slowly released her wrist. "Okay. In my defense.."

"You sacrificed yourself in front of everyone, nearly throw away your life, then chugged three Epic elixirs like cheap wine. And fought a mutant solo."

"I had to," he muttered weakly.

"You didn't tell me a damn thing?! And on top of that you had to knock me out. You are a damn cleric Kaelen, not a warrior." At the end of the sentence her voice broke into pitiful whimpers.

Kaelen put his hands up in surrender. "Look. I.."

Neal and the Epic ranks took a respectful two steps back, as if watching a fire about to erupt.

SLAP.

She didn't miss this time. It landed clean across his face. A perfect arc of fury and relief.

Kaelen blinked, head tilted from the force, then slowly looked back at Alira, who was glaring, chest rising and falling, barely holding back tears.

The camp went dead silent for a heartbeat.

Even the birds stopped chirping.

Then.

Neal muttered, rubbing his jaw with amusement. "Yeah, that one needed to land…." But before he could finished it "Awkk… "

The world folded in on itself as the pain exploded through his guts, sharp, immediate and paralyzing, dropping him to his knees before he could even curse.

Alira had kicked him in between his legs right at his little brother. "And you're the worst, should have died there."

Then she turned away, stalking off to the other side of the camp.

They didn't chase after her. It was best to let her cool off some steam.

Then Kaelen turned towards Neal who was still kneeling on the floor clutching his little brother in pain.

"Yup sure brother that was absolutely necessary."

Then he sighed, rubbing his cheek, his hands already glowing with healing mana. "This truly hurts my pride."

The camp had just begun to settle after the awkward incident.

Neal leaned casually against a crate, sipping some low-grade stamina brew like it was apple juice. He was grinning, way too much for someone who nearly blew himself up a few minutes ago.

"Man, I thought I was really gonna die a virgin, but guess what I'm back."

He laughed to himself.

Then the ground rumbled.

A heavy, deliberate step echoed across the camp.

Neal was still smiling. Then he turned slowly.

There stood Derek Maglor, his armor scorched, his hair matted with dried blood, a fresh bandage across his shoulder…

…but his eyes were clear. Sharp and focused.

And locked directly on Neal.

"Oh," Neal said, blinking. "You alright?"

THUD.

Derek's fist smashed into Neal's chest, not hard enough to kill, but definitely hard enough to launch him across the camp like a ragdoll.

Neal bounced once. Rolled. Groaned. Then sat up coughing.

"Okay… that's not fair."

The camp fell silent again.

Kaelen flinched at the sight. Then ask. "Dad, what's wrong?"

Derek marched over ignoring the question and towered above the downed warrior.

"You think this is a damn game, boy?" Derek growled.

Neal sat up, hand on his ribs. "No, sir."

"You think throwing yourself into a suicide attack earns you glory?"

"No, sir."

"Then what the hell were you thinking?!"

Neal looked up at him, gritting his teeth. "I was buying time."

"And did anyone raise or teach you to throw your life away without backup?"

Again, the same answer. "No sir."

"Good. Because like I said before you are already under my roof, under my responsibility. And if you ever do something like this again. I'll kill you myself."

That one hung in the air for a moment.

Neal's eyes turned red and his heart trembled with emotion but he controlled himself.

Derek offered Neal a hand.

Neal stared at it, then took it.

Derek pulled him up with one arm, holding him there for a second before releasing him.

"Next time," Derek said, voice low, "you call before you do something stupid. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"And for Eldraus' sake if you really want to get settled then I'll find a wife for you."

Derek had already heard about how Neal asked Sairi out and how she arranged a date for him with her niece.

Neal looked down, face flustered with embarrassment realizing his stupidity.

"No no… that was all a joke, I wasn't in my right mind."

Someone in the back shouted. "I'm rooting for you kid, congratulations."

Derek sighed. "Idiots. All of you."

He turned to walk away.

"Wait," Neal said suddenly. "If it was Kaelen who pulled a stunt like that… would you still be yelling?"

Kaelen quickly replied. "You wished."

Derek paused. Glanced over his shoulder.

"…If it was Kaelen, I wouldn't yell."

"Oh?"

Which made Kaelen beam with a smile that says "See my dad loves me."

But the next word changed it all.

"I'd break both his legs first. Then yell."

Kaelen, overhearing this raised both brows. "What?!"

Derek kept walking. "You heard me."