Idle Mage: Humanity's Strongest Backer
chapter-352

"What the hell's going on!!"

The grand fleet of the Hypogeans was thrown into chaos as the alarm blared through the corridors. Demons of all shapes and sizes rushed to their stations, readying their weapons and preparing for the imminent attack.

Harrak, a towering demon with jet-black horns and bulging muscles, stormed into the control room, his eyes blazing with fury. "What's going on?" he bellowed.

The head technician, a small, wiry demon named Grik, frantically tapped at his console. "We're being attacked by humans," he said, his voice shaking. "We don't know how many there are, but they're causing significant damage to our ships."

Harrak's expression darkened. He had heard of humans before but had never encountered them himself. From what he knew, they were a weak and feeble species, no match for the might of the Hypogeans. But the damage they were inflicting suggested otherwise.

"We need to mobilize our forces," Harrak growled. "Send out the ships and prepare for battle."

Grik nodded and relayed the orders to the rest of the fleet. Soon, dozens of ships were hurtling through space, their engines roaring as they raced towards the source of the attack.

Harrak boarded the flagship, a massive vessel bristling with weapons and shields. He stood at the helm, his fists clenched as he gazed out at the stars.

"We will crush these humans," he vowed. "They have no idea who they're dealing with."

As the flagship drew closer to the source of the attack, Harrak could see the human ships in the distance, firing their weapons and darting around like insects.

"Fire at will!" Harrak roared, and the flagship unleashed a barrage of energy beams that tore through the human ships, sending them careening out of control.

But the humans were not so easily defeated. They regrouped and launched a counterattack, their weapons slamming into the Hypogean ships with devastating force.

Harrak gritted his teeth, his muscles bulging as he struggled to maintain control of the flagship. "This is not over," he growled. "We will show them the true power of the Hypogeans."

The battle raged on for hours, the sound of weapons fire and explosions echoing through the void. But in the end, the Hypogeans emerged victorious, their superior technology and battle prowess proving too much for the human attackers.

As the Hypogeans celebrated their hard-won victory, another alarm suddenly blared through the fleet. This time it was the Celestials who were under attack.

Harrak cursed under his breath as he realized the situation. The humans had launched a coordinated assault on both the Hypogeans and the Celestials, hoping to overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

"We have to help them," Harrak barked. "All ships, divert to the Celestial fleet's location. We cannot let the humans destroy them."

The Hypogean ships swiftly changed course, hurtling towards the Celestial fleet at breakneck speed. As they approached, Harrak could see the human ships swarming around the Celestial vessels like angry wasps.

The Celestials were a much different breed than the Hypogeans. They were tall and slender, with skin that shimmered like diamonds in the light. They wielded abilities that are on the opposite spectrum of what Hypogeans used.

Nobody ever thought that a day will come when the Celestials and Hypogeans would be working together. They were a rivaling race previously, but because of Humanity's constant progress, they were forced to work together to defeat Humanity.

That being said, even the Celestials were struggling against the human onslaught. Their shields were faltering, and their magic was being nullified by the humans' advanced technology.

Harrak gritted his teeth as he watched the battle unfold. He knew that the Hypogeans and Celestials had a long and complicated history, but now was not the time for old grudges.

"All ships, focus your fire on the human ships," Harrak ordered. "We have to break their formation and give the Celestials some breathing room."

The Hypogean ships unleashed a barrage of weapons fire, their energy beams slamming into the human ships with tremendous force. The humans were caught off guard, their ships exploding in a shower of debris.

The Celestials seized the opportunity and unleashed their magic, conjuring powerful spells that blasted the remaining human ships to pieces.

"Fire! Leave none alive!"

"Show them our might! Make them regret ever coming here!"

"Blow them up!"

"Kill!!"

War cries echoed everywhere as the Fleet did their best to neutralize the unexpected ambush they received. They continued firing at the ships of Humanity, blowing them up until their numbers dwindled.

Harrak breathed a sigh of relief as the last of the human ships were destroyed. He looked over at the Celestial fleet, where a tall, regal-looking figure was stepping forward.

It was the Star Queen, one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy. Harrak had heard stories about her, how she had once single-handedly defeated an army of demons with her magic.

The Star Queen raised her hand, and a shimmering dome of energy surrounded the fleet. "Thank you for your assistance, Hypogeans," she said, her voice ringing out like a bell. "We owe you a great debt."

Harrak nodded, feeling a grudging respect for the Celestials. Maybe they weren't so different after all.

"Let's hope this is the last time the humans try to mess with us," he muttered. "But somehow, I doubt it."

The battle continued to rage on. The opposing forces clashed repeatedly. Humanity was on the losing side. But despite their position, nobody from their side launched a desperate move that both Harrak and the Star Queen were anticipating.

In the end, the last ship that ambushed them got blown up just like the rest. With this, the fight was over and they could start rounding up their casualties as well as restocking their supplies.

The battle had been won, or so they thought. The Hypogeans and Celestials were both caught off guard when the humans suddenly launched a devastating counter-attack.

As it turns out, the Humans who were on the ships earlier made it out alive. Nobody knows how they managed to hide themselves from the sensors but they did.

They got really close to Harrak and the Stat Squeen before launching an attack.

A large explosion rocked the entire fleet combined.

Harrak felt a sharp pain shoot through his chest as a beam of energy slammed into him. He stumbled backward, gasping for air as he tried to keep his balance.

The Star Queen fared no better. She had raised a shield to protect herself, but the humans' weapons were too powerful. The shield shattered under the barrage of fire, and she fell to the ground, her body wracked with pain.

The Hypogeans and Celestials fought back with all their might, but the humans were relentless. They seemed to be everywhere at once, their ships darting in and out of the battle like angry hornets.

Harrak tried to rally his troops, to keep them focused on the fight, but it was no use. They were overwhelmed, outnumbered, and outgunned.

He looked around frantically, searching for a way out. Then he saw it - a rift in space, a tear in the fabric of reality.

"Everyone, retreat through the rift!" he shouted. "Now!"

The Hypogeans and Celestials scrambled towards the rift, fighting off the humans as they went. The humans were hot on their heels, their ships firing relentlessly.

Harrak was the last to enter the rift, his body racked with pain. He stumbled forward, then fell to the ground as the rift closed behind him.

For a moment, there was only darkness. Then he heard a voice, soft and comforting, speaking to him.

"You're going to be all right," the voice said. "Just relax."

Harrak opened his eyes and saw that he was lying on a cot, surrounded by medical equipment. He groaned, then tried to sit up.

"Easy there," the voice said, and he realized it belonged to a young Hypogean nurse. "You're still recovering from your injuries."

Harrak looked around, feeling disoriented. "What happened?" he asked.

"You were injured in the battle," the nurse said. "But you're going to be okay. You're in a medical facility on one of our ships."

Harrak struggled to remember what had happened. The battle...the humans...the rift. "What about the Celestials?" he asked. "And the rest of our fleet?"

The nurse's face fell. "I'm sorry," she said. "We lost contact with the Celestial fleet during the battle. And most of our own ships were destroyed. It was a devastating defeat."

The poor demon felt his heart sink upon that confirmation. He collapsed back on his bed, eyes looking hollow and all.

Not only was injured, but he also lost many of his comrades, all because of Humanity's cunningness.

Harrak felt a sense of despair wash over him. They had thought they had won the battle, but in reality, they had suffered a crushing defeat. And worst of all, the humans were still out there, somewhere, waiting to strike again.

What Harrak didn't know was that, his wasn't the fleet that's been attacked and destroyed. Actually, it's already a miracle that he managed to live up until this point.

When He walks up later, he will discover that the other troops were ambushed as well and that this was just the beginning.