The SSS class adventurer is a divine cleric
Chapter 102: Dying star

Chapter 102: Dying star

She smashed through a wall, rebounded off a jagged pillar, and fell limply, but before she could crash into the stone ground, a blur of silver intercepted her.

Neal appeared and he caught her mid-air, flipping to absorb the impact, both of them skidding hard across the dust-blown field. His boots dragged deep trenches into the dirt before they finally stopped.

Sairi wheezed, clutching her ribs. Her lip was bleeding.

"Damn... bastard got me."

"You’re lucky I was watching," Neal muttered, gently setting her down behind a collapsed wall.

Sairi leaned against a broken pillar, wiping blood from her lip. Neal crouched beside her, eyes fixed on the approaching monster. Its newly transformed, humanoid form moved with terrifying grace, every step felt like a drumbeat of doom.

"We can’t beat this thing," Sairi muttered. "Not head-on. Not like this."

He glanced toward the others. The melee team stood behind cover, ready to teleport if given the signal. The casters were shaking, mana reserves almost gone. The support mages held the teleportation anchors steady, but the magic was straining under pressure.

"We don’t need to," Neal replied. "Just get everyone out alive."

Her eyes narrowed at him. "That thing’s going to kill you all... My class doesn’t give me raw power, I’m just human, kid. No special bloodline. No mutation. Only levels. I can’t buy you time anymore."

"I don’t need time," Neal said, standing up, brushing dust from his shoulders.

"I need one chance."

She blinked. "What? What are you..."

"I’ve got a trump card."

Sairi stared. Neal wasn’t joking. His tone was calm, dead-serious. The kind of seriousness that came from someone who’d already decided to bet everything.

"You’re a gold rank," she said flatly. "That thing is an epic mutant tyrant. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"

"I do," Neal said. "But ridiculous is all we’ve got."

She opened her mouth again to argue but paused.

There was something different about him.

The glint in his eyes they were resolved, not arrogance or desperation.

Sairi reached into her belt and pulled out a small obsidian orb with silver etchings.

"This is it. A one-time-use attack enhancing artifact from the vault of the dragon I’m contracted to. But it has a condition..." she hesitated, locking eyes with Neal. "Someone has to physically touch the target. Direct contact."

Neal didn’t hesitate. "I’ll do it."

Sairi frowned. "Neal, this thing is two full stages above you. Even if you reach it, one hit..."

"As I have said, I have a trump card."

He pulled a glowing coin from his pocket, a shimmering prism that pulsed with rainbow light. A protective item. Single-use. Legendary-grade. The gift he had received from his awakening card.

"Combined with this..." he looked down at his arm, flexed it, then nodded, "I might land one real hit."

Sairi didn’t argue further. She handed him the orb.

"We’ll give you a window. You do what you need."

Neal nodded. "That’s all I need."

A long silence passed between them.

Then Sairi gave him a weak smile.

"You better make it count, kid."

He stepped forward, turned toward the battlefield, and called out across the crystals.

"Everyone, stay back."

Then Neal grinned faintly. "Hey. When this is over, drinks are on me."

Sairi chuckled, low and tired shaking her head. "You’re just a kid too young for me, maybe I’ll arrange a date for you with my niece."

Neal agreed without any hesitation "Deal."

Fuck fighting it’s time I get some romance life too.

Then Neal flew up to the sky and Sairi launched first.

She didn’t hold back. Her spear glowed crimson with dragonfire, enchanted with every last ounce of strength she could pull from her bond. She hurled it like a missile, straight at the mutant’s head.

"Now!"

The Tyrant raised an arm, smacking it aside, but the explosion that followed blinded it again.

Now was the chance and Neal moved, he didn’t need Sairi to remind him for this.

He vanished from where he was floating, reappearing in midair like a comet, diving straight at the Tyrant.

"<Cosmic Punch>," he whispered.

His body surged with radiant light. The sky darkened turning into night instantly, like twilight had slammed into midday. The clouds trembled. Prismatic colors spiraled around his glowing fist.

The enhancer item fused into his skin and burst apart, triggering the surge.

The Tyrant looked up just in time only to see the star falling toward him.

And without second thoughts it punched back in retaliation.

Their fists collided.

The world cracked.

A thunderclap louder than anything before shook the battlefield. Neal’s arm shattered completely, flesh, bone, and soul torn apart on impact.

But in that exact moment, Sairi’s trap activated.

The enhancing item makes the next attack petrify the monster for 5 seconds.

The mutant froze mid-motion.

Petrified.

"NOW!" Sairi screamed. "TELEPORT, GO!"

The anchors activated, every surviving member of the team had entered the array trying to teleport away.

But Neal didn’t.

Because he knew it was too late and their plan had failed.

Their petrification lasted only two seconds, not five.

And for what reasons they don’t know.

The Tyrant’s eyes twitched. Its head snapped toward him, still half-stone, but already breaking free.

Neal threw his legendary item towards the team and it enveloped them in light of warmth and healing.

Then he grabbed the monster by the throat with his remaining arm. His actions were pointless. It has no real purpose and in contrast to their size it was just Neal touching the monster’s neck.

But there was satisfaction in his eyes grabbing the opponent he knew he could not defeat by the throat was oddly satisfying for him.

Neal smiled.

"Tch. Atleast I want to have a girlfriend. But guess it’s time."

He closed his eyes.

"<Supernova : Dying Star>."

It was the sacrificial version of his skill, Supernova and this one burns with 10x his usual supernova.

A radiant symbol burst into life behind him. His body ignited in solar fire. His mana exploded outward like a sun going supernova.

A final whisper slipped from his lips.

"Farewell Starfall."

He had always wanted to rebuild his fallen kingdom but ideas and plans could not keep up with what life throws at us.

And then.

BOOOOM.

The forest beyond, the ruins, and the fortress all lit up brighter than noon. The ground cracked. Walls shattered. Everything within a hundred kilometers disintegrated into white ash.