The Allbright System - A Sci-Fi Progression LitRPG Story

The heightened anticipation for the assessment had transformed the training room into a pressure cooker of nervous energy an hour later. Corvus's prolonged absence only exacerbated Alpha Squad's mounting anxiety, their calm steadily eroding under the relentless waves of uncertainty.

Isabella, her patience having long reached rock-bottom, vented her frustration with each successive deadlift of the astonishingly heavy weight she held. The muttered grumbles that punctuated her grunts were all variations of the same question, "How long could a simple intel meeting possibly take…?!"

Thea, too, was caught in the undertow of the squad's collective restlessness. The last ten minutes had seen her focus scatter, rendering the technical documentation of the Gram unintelligible. She had tried to find distraction on the galactic net, only to find it unresponsive - a probable measure in the lead-up to the assessment, to prevent any potential information to be gained from outside sources.

Frustrated yet determined to occupy her mind, she found refuge in the tangible world of physical technology.

Retrieving her Icicle, she resumed her previous analysis of the enigmatic weapon and its firing mechanism that allowed it to fire the strangely shaped ammunition it utilised, an investigation she hadn't been able to complete during her shopping expedition.

Thea quickly ran into an issue with her examination however, as she realised that there was no actual way to open up the gun and take a look inside. The Icicle seemed like it was formed from an individual piece of plasteel, perfectly moulded and hollowed to the exact dimensions required to house whatever magic made the gun fire inside.

Her focus ensnared by the intricacies of the weapon, Thea continued to probe the Icicle's form, running her fingers over the smooth plasteel surface in a quest to find any hidden latches or screws. But it remained stubbornly whole, its interior mechanisms an enigma she was unable to pierce.

Frustrated, she threw the Icicle onto the table with a loud clang, massaging her temple as she tried to recollect anything relevant from the Gram's documentation. Yet her thoughts felt as insubstantial as the very shadows previously cast by her Spectre's hood, slipping through her mental grasp like wraiths.

Her focus was in tatters, the sustained anxiety taking its toll on her mind. Around her, the room continued to hum with tense energy.

Lucas had returned to nervously prodding at his own skin with a fork, an odd coping mechanism that no one felt like questioning at the moment. Karania and Desmond remained deeply absorbed in their respective data-pads, ostensibly finding solace in some form of distraction to keep the gnawing anticipation at bay.

Despite their apparent engrossment, Thea noted the telltale signs of their underlying anxiety. The persistent tap of Karania's fingers against the hard casing of her data-pad formed a nervous rhythm, while Desmond's lips bore the brunt of his apprehension, subject to continual, absent-minded biting.

Her gaze fell back to the Icicle, her curiosity reignited.

The unyielding mystery of the weapon seemed once again like an inviting puzzle rather than a hindrance, a mental distraction from the impending challenge that awaited them. Resolute, she picked up the Icicle again, her fingers probing its seamless structure with renewed interest.

Just as she was about to give in to the rhythm of this engaging distraction however, a faint sound tickled the edge of her hearing. It was the sound of the biometric scanner outside the living quarters granting access to somebody. A surge of relief washed over her, as she got up to return her Icicle to the equipment rack.

Corvus was finally back.

This simple movement, in a room that had been dominated by tense stillness for nearly an entire hour, immediately drew the attention of her squad mates. Responding to their curious looks with a wry grin, Thea succinctly announced, "He's back."

At Thea's declaration, the room erupted into a hive of activity, each member of Alpha Squad jolting out of their self-imposed distractions. The sense of collective relief was palpable, swirling in the room and intermingling with the freshly stoked anticipation, churning the air into a potent cocktail of emotions.

Isabella, caught mid-lift, abandoned her strenuous regimen with nary a second thought.

With an ease that belied the colossal, roughly 300-400 kg mass of the barbell, she nonchalantly tossed it aside. The massive weight clanged on the ground, a testament to the reinforced training room floor, as she leisurely brushed her hands together, almost as if she were discarding a used tissue.

Desmond and Karania, deeply engrossed in their respective data-pads till a moment ago, moved in swift synchrony. Like seasoned operatives, they packed away their devices with deft movements, the firm click of the protective casings attached to their uniforms echoing in the room, marking the end of their digital distraction.

Lucas, wrenched out of his monotonous prodding, glanced around awkwardly, his hand clenched around the fork. His eyes darted from one spot to another, clearly searching for a suitable place to store the utensil. Finding none, and perhaps not wanting to waste precious seconds, he shrugged and simply decided to hold onto it. His hand curled around the fork, the dull gleam of the metal a stark contrast to his nervous expression.

Collectively, they regrouped, preparing for Corvus' much-anticipated debrief.

A minute after they had all convened around the table, the door slid open, revealing Corvus.

He stepped into the room, pausing momentarily as his eyes landed on the assembled squad, surprise flickering across his features. He had clearly expected to find the team still engaged in their various distractions, not neatly assembled and awaiting his briefing. His surprise, however, quickly melted into an approving nod, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Without wasting a moment, he moved to the front of the assessment preparation setup, setting down his data-pad on the table with a solid thud. He began tapping on the device, booting up the holographic projector that was embedded within the table's surface. As he activated the device, a holographic image of a planet came into view, hovering over the table and casting an ethereal glow on their faces.

The planet was an intriguing sight, bathed in a rich blend of teal and turquoise hues from a distance.

It was partially shrouded by wispy cloud formations, their ghostly dances adding to the mesmerising charm of the celestial body. The planet was studded with an abundance of large, sprawling cities. Upon closer observation, one could see the neat grid of urban roads and blocked buildings, a hallmark to advanced city planning.

Stretching between the cities lay a vast expanse of thriving wilderness, adorned with lush forests, dark-blue seas, and lakes, as well as grand mountain ranges - a pristine landscape seemingly untouched by human hands. These natural wonders served as a clear demarcation between the urban environments and the untamed land beyond.

It was immediately clear however, that their mission would plunge them into the heart of one of those sprawling urban jungles.

Corvus' gaze swept over the team, his expression hardened as he prepared himself to dive into the specifics of their imminent mission.

“Welcome to Nova Serene inside the Stellar Republic’s Gaia Vortex star-sector, Alpha Squad. Or more specifically, Nova Tertius,” with those words, the holographic projector zoomed in on one massive city in specific, displaying the sprawling metropolis from a satellite’s view.

“It’s one of the largest cities on Nova Serene, and home to over 100 million people. Nova Serene itself is one of the larger planets that the UHF has actively attacked inside Stellar Republic space, with more than six billion people calling it their homes. As such, we should expect massive resistance from the Stellar Republic’s side.

“We weren’t given information about how this particular battlefield played out and our galactic net access has also been revoked for the duration of the assessment, in order to prevent anyone from getting outside intel for this mission.”

Thea nodded absent-mindedly at this revelation, realising that her prior thoughts had been spot-on, regarding her missing galactic-net access.

Corvus, meanwhile, continued, “For us, specifically, the UHF brass has decided on a particularly critical mission objective.

“We’re to do what’s called a ‘Point Control’ mission: Infiltrate and secure a given AO, then hold it until reinforcements arrive and fortify the position. That’s it. While it sounds simple, we have a lot of hurdles to overcome, that I’ll get into shortly.

“First and foremost however, I’ll lay out the actual rules of this particular sub-battlefield. Apparently the System doesn’t just designate a whole battlefield, but also sub-battlefields, which fall under the greater battlefield’s ruleset, but can be more refined. To illustrate, here’s the general rules for the battlefield of Nova Serene as a whole,” he briefly stopped, to activate a button on his data-pad, which caused the holoprojector to change once again.

This time, it displayed a list of information, formatted similar to the System boxes they were all used to by now.

[Nova Serene Battlefield Ruleset]

[Defending Faction: Stellar Republic]

[Attacking Faction: United Human Federation]

[Base Tier: 3]

[Base Deployment Number: 621,550]

[Auxiliary Deployment Amount: 5.5B]

[Aces: 26]

[Ace Tier: +2]

[Main Objective: Secured Majority Control]

[Alternate Objective: Confirmed Annihilation, 70%]

[Nova Serene Battlefield Ruleset - Additions]

[Defending Faction Bonus Deployment: 95,450]

[Attacking Faction Bonus Deployment: 21,210]

[Defending Faction SADD - Medium Amount: 35]

[Attacking Faction SADD - Medium Amount: 11]

[Defending Faction SADD - Light Amount: 31]

[Attacking Faction SADD - Light Amount: 24]

“Now, I know this looks confusing at first glance, but it’s fairly straightforward. The Base Tier indicates what Tier of soldiers is considered the maximum ‘normal’, aka. Non-Ace, level. So for both Factions, 621,550 Tier 3 soldiers would be the optimal deployment, as that would fully utilise all their available capacity.

“However, as you might expect, that’s fairly unrealistic for any Faction to deploy to a single battlefield at a moment’s notice. As such, you can downgrade the Base Tier, by a factor of 5 each time, for each tier. Meaning that for every single Tier 3 Marine the UHF could deploy, they can instead deploy up to 25 Tier 1 Marines. That’s where we come in. All assessments are done under the guise of us being Tier 1 Marines, aka. Privates. There are no Recruits on live-battlefields, after all,” he gave a wink with that explanation, as if it was a veiled secret of some kind.

This caused some confused looks to sprout up among the squad, which he abruptly ignored before he continued his briefing with a self-satisfied smile.

"The Base Deployment Number denominates an actual number of people, while the Auxiliary Deployment Amount is measured in PV, meaning that higher PV assets consume more of the budget," Corvus explained.

"The ADA budget can encompass a broad range of elements, from additional soldiers up to the base tier, over large offensive or defensive installations, to armoured divisions and their respective vehicles. The UHF primarily allocates the ADA budget to the latter."

As he continued, Corvus presented the staggering force that the UHF intended to field on Nova Serene. "On this planet, with its colossal budget of 5.5 billion PV, the UHF is fielding six complete legions of the Armored Division, comprising approximately 80,000 vehicles and 260,000 personnel. This force will supplement the base deployment of about 130,000 Tier 3 Marines, 850,000 Tier 2 Marines, and a mind-boggling 8 million Tier 1 Marines. Mind you, this is only the initial landing party."

He paused, allowing the enormity of those figures to sink in. The room fell silent and the air seemed to thin as each member of Alpha Squad absorbed the information.

Their expressions mirrored a blend of sheer awe and disbelief. The silence stretched on for a moment longer before the individual reactions began to manifest themselves.

Isabella was the first to break the silence, a low whistle escaping her lips as she shook her head in disbelief. Her newly enhanced muscles, so visible under the training room's lights, tensed as she absorbed the enormity of the task at hand. She placed her palms on the table, leaning forward as if the physical act of doing so would help her process the information.

She was no stranger to large-scale combat, having taken part in multiple real-life battles before integration, but these numbers were unlike anything she had encountered, or even dreamed of being possible, before.

Next to her, Desmond's eyes were wide, his usual, standoff-ish, cool demeanour shattered by the overwhelming numbers. His fingers, usually so steady and composed, were now gripping the edge of the table tightly. The proud inner-worlder was silent, his usual quips and remarks replaced by stunned silence.

Karania, ever the stoic, remained outwardly calm. However, the constant, rhythmic tapping on her data-pad - which she had promptly taken back out of its case as Corvus had started his explanations - had ceased, replaced by a stillness that was entirely uncharacteristic of her. Her lips were pressed together in a thin line, and her eyes, usually so expressive, seemed distant and introspective. Despite her impressive mental prowess and analytical skills, even she appeared to be struggling with the scale of the impending conflict.

And then there was Lucas.

The fork, forgotten in his hand, clattered to the floor, the sound echoing loudly in the stunned silence. He looked around, his gaze darting between his squadmates as if searching for some reassurance in their reactions. His usually pale skin had gone even paler, his eyes wide and unblinking as they returned to the holographic representation of Nova Serene as he muttered quietly to himself, “I think I’m going to need a bigger shield…”

Thea herself found the sheer scale of the numbers presented almost impossible to grasp.

While she could comprehend them numerically, manipulate them in calculations, even abstractly understand their meaning, she lacked a tangible frame of reference to truly visualise such an enormous amount of people.

Her most similar point of reference was from one of her experiences on Lumiosia.

During one of her infrequent visits to the capital with James, they had attended the 'Virodiun Moon Cycle Festival', a grand event that drew people from all over the planet to the capital city’s streets.

On that particularly bustling day, the city had swelled with an influx of around 200,000 individuals - a sight which had filled every vista with a sea of faces. This was the largest crowd she had ever witnessed and thus the greatest multitude she could realistically conceptualise. Yet, even this vast number fell pitifully short of the sheer quantity of just the Tier 2 Marines that had apparently been deployed on Nova Serene in the past.

Instead of spiralling further into the cognitive abyss of trying to truly understand these astronomical figures, Thea focused her attention on observing her squadmates.

As their reactions unfolded, a sense of solidarity settled in her chest as she realised that nobody else seemed to be able to grasp the true scale of this conflict. The incomprehensible scale of the imminent conflict starkly reminded them of the herculean task that lay ahead:

They were not preparing for a typical battlefield - they were bracing for a battlefield that defied the boundaries of ordinary human understanding, one governed and overseen by the Allbright System itself.

Corvus, meanwhile, was smiling at the squad’s reactions.

“I’m glad to see you all more-or-less composed. The Squad Leader meeting was in a complete uproar, when Major Quinn had divulged this information,” he briefly chuckled at the memory, before he put on his stoic face again and continued.

“Naturally, we are not going to fight alongside millions upon millions of marines. No battlefield in existence could possibly hold such a vast number of people, especially as these numbers are just our side. You can expect at least the same amount, if not vastly more, to be fielded by the Stellar Republic. After all, they’re known to field a vast amount of unintegrated soldiers, which are essentially T0 in regards to the Base Deployment Number.

“Instead, we will be heading to a sub-battlefield, as mentioned previously.”

With those words, he once again manually activated something on his data-pad, which updated the holoprojector’s displayed box with new information.

[Nova Tertius Sub-Battlefield Ruleset]

[Base Tier: 1]

[Base Deployment Number: 550,000]

[Auxiliary Deployment Amount: 745M]

[Aces: 3]

[Ace Tier: +2]

[Main Objective: Secured Majority Control]

[Alternate Objective: Confirmed Annihilation, 70%]

[Nova Tertius Sub-Battlefield Ruleset - Additions]

[Defending Faction SADD - Medium Amount: 2]

[Attacking Faction SADD - Medium Amount: 1]

[Defending Faction SADD - Light Amount: 4]

[Attacking Faction SADD - Light Amount: 3]

“As you can see, this battlefield is slightly more manageable with approximately a million soldiers on each side once all considerations are taken into account. While that's still an enormous figure, let’s put it into perspective. We're preparing to enter a sprawling urban environment with a population far exceeding 100 million. Our entire military presence for this battlefield is barely a blip when compared to the number of local inhabitants," he explained, his brows knitting slightly as he underlined the stark reality of their situation.

He continued, his eyes sweeping over the assembled squad, "Civilian casualties, while anticipated, must be minimised wherever possible. Excessive harm to the civilian population could sway their allegiance towards the Stellar Republic’s forces, a shift that could immediately and significantly tilt the battlefield in their favour.”

Corvus’ fingers traced the edges of the holographic projection as he spoke, animating the ghostly light with an eeriness that underscored his words.

"We'll strive to keep our combat confined to specified objectives and open areas, making every effort to avoid the towering skyscrapers and megastructures that serve as Nova Teritus's urban backbone, wherever feasible," he elaborated, his hands forming a series of imaginary boundaries within the holographic cityscape.

The squad leader then delved deeper into the details of their mission. "Our sub-battlefield will be host to three Aces from each side. It's highly probable we'll encounter at least one of these opponents due to our mission objective: to secure a staging post for an assault on one of the Stellar Republic’s Light-type SADDs." His fingers splayed out, indicating the six spots representing the enemy's SADDs on the hologram.

"Given that the Stellar Republic has deployed only six SADDs in this sub-battlefield total, the chance for an Ace to be within responding distance to our incursion is significantly high." Corvus made a pressing down gesture, as if emphasising the weight of their task.

His eyes met each of theirs in turn, an unwavering resolve reflecting back at them. "Our assessment has been labelled as 'Platinum', signifying the highest possible first assessment difficulty level. Major Quinn suggested that to offer us anything less would be a disservice to the exceptional capabilities of our drive and our squad in particular." A hint of a smile tugged at his lips, not of amusement, but of determined grit.

"So, it's imperative we bring our A-game, no exceptions. We are facing a downright unfair challenge, people.” Corvus fell silent for a moment, letting his words sink in as he studied each member of his team.

He watched their expressions, gauging their reactions, and seemed satisfied with the determination mirrored back at him.

The gravity of their mission had now been laid bare, but he seemingly detected no hint of wavering among the squad. Instead, there was a keen awareness and silent acceptance in their eyes, their resolve evidently strengthened by the sheer scale of the task at hand.

Thea, meanwhile, had similarly studied the rest of Alpha Squad and come to the same conclusion: They were eager to fight.

Swivelling back towards the holographic display, Corvus tapped a few keys on the data-pad, manipulating the three-dimensional projection. The image of Nova Tertius shrank, making room for a new image, that of their objective location.

"This," he began, pointing to the image now hovering alongside the cityscape, "is the strategic staging post we are tasked to secure. It's a relatively small area compared to the city, but is nonetheless critical to our plans of attacking the Stellar Republic’s Light-type SADD."

Corvus' hand rose and hovered over the image of the daunting complex, deftly drawing their attention to the sprawling maze of towering structures, their pale illumination in stark contrast against the hologram's artificial sky. His index finger traced along several interconnected buildings, following the labyrinthine layout that made the site feel eerily desolate despite its intimidating size.

A light tap from his finger caused the hologram to zoom into the very centre, where an expansive open area lay encircled by the colossal structures, a space ominously tagged as 'Primary Objective.'

His voice, steady yet laced with gravitas, broke the silence that had followed his previous, detailed briefing.

"Our success here," he declared, making a sweeping gesture to include the entire complex, "is not just about contributing to the overall battle strategy. It will set the tone for the UHF’s future engagements on Nova Serene."

Corvus paused once again, his gaze sweeping over each squad member in turn, his stern visage capturing their undivided attention. "Always remember, the enemy is equally invested, if not more, in this location. This is their planet. We are the invaders. Anticipate fierce resistance, possibly even from the civilian populace. Yet we must prevail."

Corvus' hands relaxed at his sides, his formidable presence undiminished as it permeated the room. Despite his physical stillness, he seemed to command the space around him with a tangible aura of authority and expertise.

Despite herself, Thea was struck by the profound professionalism Corvus displayed throughout the entire briefing so far. His poise, clarity, and attention to detail made it easy to forget he was of similar age to her, a fellow squad member with, presumably, around the same level of real-world experience.

Instead, he exuded the air of a seasoned, high-ranking UHF official, inspiring confidence and respect in equal measure. This disparity between the perceived and the actual made his performance all the more impressive to her.

"However, we are not alone in this task. We are considered a special operations squad for this mission, attached to the formidable 7th Mokarion Legion, which boasts around 50,000 Tier 1 Marines. Additionally, we will be supported by three divisions of around 10,000 Tier 1 Marines each, from the 19th and 23rd Mokarion Legions."

A third image blinked into existence alongside the complex, this one showing a formidable array of military vehicles and soldiers. "Lastly, we will have the assistance of a division from the UHF Armored Division, comprising around 3,000 vehicles and 12,000 soldiers. These forces will serve as our primary frontline and distraction, enabling specialised squads like ours to penetrate key locations."

Corvus then began to delineate their initial targets, his finger tapping five distinct points on the hologram, each labelled as a strategic anchor. "To reach our primary mission objective, we must first secure these strategic anchor points. If these remain under enemy control, our main assault force will hit a wall they cannot bypass. Our primary mission objective will remain unattainable unless we successfully neutralise these points to enable the advancement of our troops."

His intense gaze briefly lifted from the hologram to meet his squad's eyes, ensuring they grasped the importance of his words.

"However, before we delve deeper into our assault strategy, let's take a step back. We must first understand how and where we will land on the planet," he continued, his tone slightly lighter but still serious.

In response to his command, the holographic projection expanded its perspective and moved to the eastern side of the massive urban landscape that was Nova Tertius. It highlighted a broad, open space leading towards an imposing mountain range simply marked as 'Elysian Range'.

"We will set up our initial base here," Corvus announced, his finger lingering on the location at the foot of the Elysian Range.

"Our entry to the planet will be through drop-pods. Transport ships are reserved for the Armoured Division to swiftly deliver their troops and vehicles to the ground. I hope none of you are averse to hurtling towards a planet at terminal speeds in an unprotected metal box?"

His tone carried a semblance of jest, and it succeeded in drawing a collection of taut smiles from his squad mates, their apprehension not quite concealed.

A gnawing pit of dread was spreading through Thea's stomach at the mere thought of the drop-pod descent. The lift-off from Lumiosia had tested the limits of her comfort, the G-forces pressing her down with a power that felt like the weight of the universe. That had been in a current-tech, purpose-built shuttle, surrounded by reassuringly solid walls.

This new prospect – being sealed inside an unpredictable drop-pod, hurtling towards the planet surface at an alarming speed – was an entirely different level of intimidation.

She tried to school her face into neutrality, hiding the turbulence of her thoughts. However, a quick glance around revealed that her fears were far from singular. Isabella's brows had furrowed into a tense line and her lips had tightened, hinting at her disquiet. It wasn't often that the usually fearless, muscular woman displayed any signs of apprehension.

Desmond, on the other hand, was wearing his concern as openly as a uniform. The drone and tech specialist had gone from an avid participant to a silent spectator. His eyes, usually alight with curiosity and a measuring glance, were wide with trepidation, and his pale face had lost whatever colour it held.

In stark contrast to her rising dread, Thea noticed an unusual sparkle in Lucas' eyes as Corvus spoke about the drop-pod descent.

The steady, pragmatic man had morphed into an excited child presented with a new adventurous toy. His apprehension seemed to have evaporated, replaced by a shimmer of anticipation that was almost contagious. There was a lopsided grin threatening to break out on his stoic face. It was a thoroughly unexpected reaction for Thea, especially from someone as controlled and steadfast as Lucas. His earlier nervous fiddling with the fork seemed like a distant memory, as she observed his demeanour.

But it was Karania's reaction that truly surprised Thea - although she felt that she should really have known better by now.

Karania’s excitement was downright palpable, a nearly tangible aura of delight that was as puzzling as it was infectious. Thea could not fathom the source of her elation. The prospect of plunging from the skies in a tin can was as far from a joyride as one could imagine. Yet, there Karania sat, practically glowing with anticipation, a massively wide grin plastered on her face, as she looked around the rest of the squad with hungry, excited eyes.

As Thea watched her teammates' varying reactions, she realised that their squad was a fascinating mix of fear, thrill, anxiety, and excitement. It was a potent reminder of the different lives they had led before coming together as Alpha Squad, their unique experiences shaping their perceptions.

Despite her personal apprehension, Thea found this thought somewhat comforting; she wouldn't be alone in the drop-pod after all. Ultimately, it was also just a very, very important simulation, so she vowed to take as many experiences from it for the real-world that she could.

If the drop-pod had been ordered as their mode of transport, then a drop-pod it would be…