The Allbright System - A Sci-Fi Progression LitRPG Story

Reacting to the feeling of her instincts warning her of imminent danger, a sensation that had become all too familiar in the past week, Thea did not hesitate for even a fraction of a second.

‘Sensory Overdrive.’

Even as her senses amplified, Thea threw her entire body to the left, instinctively seeking the protection of Lucas’ massive shield.

Simultaneously, she let out a yell of “CONTACT,” her voice ringing loud and clear, in a desperate hope that the warning would reach the rest of the Platoon, and potentially the greater Company, in time.

As her body began its arc through the air towards Lucas, her massively amplified Perception caught a glimpse of the danger her instincts had sensed.

A large detachment of Stellar Republic fighters, entrenched and previously hidden in the shrubs and flora, around a kilometre from their position, just before the foreboding expanse of the Azure Forest. Through her enhanced Perception, Thea could see a veritable army, counting around 600 enemies, all poised and ready to strike.

But it was the sight of the heavy weapon emplacements that made her eyes widen with shock and dread. There were ten of them, their reinforced and strategically positioned hiding places expertly disguised within the beginning of the forest's natural shrubs and vegetation. These emplacements were clearly not makeshift or hastily assembled; they were carefully placed and entrenched, manned by seemingly trained personnel that were rapidly preparing the initial opening volley, and aimed directly at the 32nd Company's advancing formation.

The realisation that they were walking into a well-planned ambush hit Thea like a punch to the gut. The enemy had anticipated their exact movements, prepared the battleground, and waited for the opportune moment to strike - from before they had even landed on the planet itself.

Every instinct screamed at her to act, to warn, to prepare, but time was not on her side.

All she could do was watch, in the severely slowed-down state of her heightened Perception, as the enemy's opening salvo began to be unleashed.

The tension of the moment seemed to crystallise as Thea's Perception captured the first flash of a muzzle from an enemy sniper's position.

Time itself seemed to slow further as she watched the bullet rapidly traverse the landscape. Its path ended as it lodged itself deep into the chest armour of a Marine from Spear Platoon towards her right. The medium-type armour dented inwards with a sickening crunch that reverberated unnaturally loudly in Thea’s head, before a mist of viscera erupted from the same hole. The gruesome detail was captured in agonising slow motion, the reality of the threat becoming abundantly clear to Thea in that frozen, horrifying moment.

As if that initial shot had burst a dam holding back a flood, the entire detachment of Stellar Republic forces began to unload their weaponry all at once. Bullets, lasers, and explosive ordnance erupted from the entrenched positions, creating a maelstrom of lethal chaos.

One bullet in particular whizzed by Thea, missing her by mere centimetres, its trajectory perfectly aligned to where her chest would have been had her instincts not warned her of the impending danger.

The next moments unfolded like a horrifying retelling of death and destruction, each frame etched into Thea's mind as her enhanced Perception allowed her to see it all in excruciating detail.

From the hidden emplacements, ten heavy weapon stations sent a blistering torrent of ballistic firepower into the 32nd Company's ranks.

Rockets streaked across the sky, their trails weaving a nightmarish web before exploding in bursts of flame and shrapnel. The explosions tossed soldiers into the air like rag dolls, their screams lost amidst the sudden roar of utter carnage.

The hover-shields that had seemed so impressively robust moments before were now the targets of immensely concentrated firepower. The relentless onslaught assaulted the reinforced rockcrete, and Thea's fear that they would simply crumble to dust seemed on the verge of realisation. Some did indeed fail entirely, as their anti-grav boards gave out under the immense pressure.

The massive barricades, which had been floating effortlessly moments ago, crashed down to the ground with a thunderous impact and fell over from the continued bombardment, crushing the Marines that had been pushing them forward. The dual tragedy of losing both protection and comrades in an instant added another layer of horror to an already nightmarish scene.

Machine gun nests opened up with deadly precision, the tracer rounds painting glowing lines across the battlefield, each ending in a violent impact. Men and women of the 32nd and Spear Platoon were caught in the storm, their bodies jerking and twisting as the hail of bullets found their mark and utterly obliterated their bodies. Armours cracked and shattered under the pressure, splintering into deadly fragments that added to the chaos.

The fire of Laser emplacements seared through the air, their beams leaving glowing trails that cut through flesh and metal with equal ease. Limbs were severed with dispassionate precision, equipment bisected, and the acrid smell of burning flesh permeated the air in what seemed like a fraction of a second through Thea's heightened perception.

Of the roughly 300 men and women of the 32nd Company, around a sixth were obliterated in the brief half-second of the initial opening salvo.

Thea could do nothing but watch the carnage unfold, her senses capturing every gruesome detail as her body continued its painfully slow glide through the air behind Lucas' shield.

Then, finally, she felt her [Sensory Overdrive] rapidly diminish. Grateful for the recent alteration to her Ability that made the transition more bearable, she immediately sought out Corvus, who, along with the rest of Alpha Squad, had gathered behind Lucas' shield the instant Thea had warned of contact. Though inwardly elated that her squad had reacted so promptly and without question to her callout, there was no time to dwell on it.

With urgent precision, Thea relayed her initial report through squad comms, her voice tight and controlled, focusing primarily on Corvus but ensuring all were informed.

“There are around 600 enemies dug into the vegetation, about a kilometre from our position towards the forest. Ten heavy weapon emplacements, all ballistic, starting at 312 degrees from our position, spaced evenly, around every eleven degrees towards 57. The weaponry split is primarily ballistic with supplementary laser and the occasional explosives - roughly 73/22/5. Most of the explosives were aimed at the hover-shields. We've lost about a sixth of the 32nd in the initial salvo, but the rest have managed to deploy their shields and are about to return fire.”

Her words, clinical and devoid of emotion, carried the weight of the situation, a precise evaluation in the midst of chaos. It was a moment that demanded clarity, and Thea's report provided a brief anchor of understanding as the battle raged on around them.

While the rest of Alpha Squad stood momentarily stunned by the impossibly precise nature of her report, especially considering that the ambush had unfolded merely a second ago, Thea was already in motion.

Gripping her Gram, she leaned around the left side of Lucas’ shield, now securely anchored into the ground with its massive bottom spikes and gravitational-lock activated.

Peering around the shield's edge, Thea brought the scope of her Gram to her eye, targeting the outermost heavy weapon emplacement to the left. Thanks to the vivid clarity of her [Sensory Overdrive] beforehand, she could recall the exact position of the enemies. The head of the gunner she sought came into her view in a mere fraction of a second.

Without hesitation, her finger squeezed the trigger, and the Gram’s laser shot across the battlefield in a blinding streak, turning the gunner's head into a mist of red. Mindful of the fact that her laser would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention—thanks to Lt. Frost's teachings from the initial cube trial that now seemed lifetimes away—Thea seized the brief window of opportunity she had.

Her finger danced on the trigger as she rapidly shifted her aim from one priority target to another, which she had identified and marked in her mind during her [Sensory Overdrive]. One head after another vapourized, her shots unerring and relentless. Then, three seconds after she had taken her first shot, retaliatory fire began to impact Lucas' shield mere centimetres from her head, and she swiftly ducked behind cover.

“Make that nine heavy weapon emplacements. The one at 312 is missing two gunners and three runners. I took care of two snipers as well, but we're catching heat,” Thea reported, her voice cool as she repositioned herself on the right side of the shield.

In the midst of the chaos, Thea found herself feeling strangely at ease. Though they were embroiled in a nightmarish situation - having been caught in an ambush by an enemy force twice their size -, she was undoubtedly in her element: The middle of a gunfight.

Having live targets to shoot at again, after the long abstinence since her cube trial, filled her with a thrill that she dared not voice aloud, lest her comrades deem her utterly mad. Yet the exhilaration was there, undeniable and alive, a darkly satisfying undercurrent to the grim task at hand.

'I really do prefer PvP over simple highscore trials, don't I...'

The rest of Alpha Squad, still in shock from the precision and speed of Thea's actions and her uncannily precise initial report, finally began to regain their composure. Corvus, who had taken cover deep behind Lucas' shield, was the first to snap out of the reverie.

His fingers were already flying across his communicator, relaying Thea's detailed report to Staff-Sergeant Venn via the squad leader channel.

“Understood, Thea,” Corvus replied, his voice betraying a hint of awe but mostly focused on the task at hand. “I'm sending your intel to Venn now. Everyone, on your feet, return fire!”

The order seemed to shake the rest of the squad out of their daze.

Lucas immediately began bracing against the shield, ensuring it stayed in place as the Stellar Republic's torrent of gunfire hammered against it in a relentless downpour. The shield's surface rippled with each impact, especially when the rare rocket-propelled grenades struck its surface, but it held firm nevertheless.

With his right arm, he lifted his Havoc and started shooting grenades blindly over the top of his shield with a rhythmic 'thump thump thump'. The weapon's barrels spewed death and destruction, rapidly rotating to disgorge their deadly payloads, guided solely by his trust in Thea's precise report of the enemy's exact position.

The Havoc's automated grenade selection mechanism whirred rapidly, prioritising shrapnel grenades over other options, as it calibrated for maximum devastation against the entrenched enemy lines. The ensuing chaos, marked by the sound of explosions, tearing flesh, and the agonised cries of the wounded, echoed a couple of seconds after each 'thump.' This display of violence served as a stark reminder of the devastating potential of the weapon in Lucas' hands, and the deadly accuracy of Thea's intelligence.

Simultaneously, Isabella stepped out from behind the shield to the left, her 'Titan' heavy armour glinting ominously under the harsh glare of the battlefield's illumination. The ballistic and laser fire that rained down upon her merely pinged off her heavily fortified suit, absorbed by the dense plating and energy-absorbing materials.

Her face, hidden beneath the armour's full-helmet, was undoubtedly marked with a broad grin in Thea’s mind, as Isabella hoisted her monstrous Devastation HMG, the weapon itself serving as the very embodiment of destruction and chaos.

With an audible mechanical whir, the Belt Feeder module integrated into her armour’s core sprang to life, uncoiling the thick ammo belt that led into the Devastation's maw. Her finger tightened around the trigger, and the world was suddenly filled with a deafening roar.

The three thick barrels of the rotary HMG began to cycle at an incredible speed, unleashing a blistering torrent of .66 calibre bullets. Each shot was a powerhouse in its own right, significantly larger and more potent than any of the rounds that the Stellar Republic forces were levelling against them, aside from maybe some of the heavy weapon emplacements. As the projectiles left the barrels, they transformed into harbingers of death, tearing through the air with a ferocious hunger for destruction.

The thunderous roar of the gun resonated across the battlefield as Isabella's Devastation HMG unleashed a lethal response, amplifying the violence and chaos many times over. The impact on the enemy lines was both immediate and brutal.

Although a significant portion of her fire went astray, owing to the considerable distance and the hefty kickback from the Devastation's rapid fire, the bullets that did find their mark didn't merely wound—they obliterated.

Armour was torn asunder, fortifications were shredded, and bodies were reduced to unrecognisable fragments. It was the sound of annihilation, a song that resonated with the primal part of the human psyche that understood--on a fundamental level--the power of raw, unbridled fury.

The Devastation lived up to its name, cutting a swathe through the Stellar Republic forces, turning what had been carefully entrenched positions into rubble and pandemonium. The constant need for reloading was handled effortlessly by the Belt Feeder, allowing Isabella to maintain her focus and keep the pressure mounting.

Her body language spoke of unrelenting concentration as she traversed her weapon across the battlefield, methodically picking off emplacements, decimating clusters of enemy soldiers, and tearing down anything that dared to oppose her wrath.

The combination of Lucas's grenades and her devastating fire formed a lethal duet in mere seconds after Thea’s initial report, the two complementary forces working in perfect harmony to wreak havoc on their foes on a level that was downright apocalyptic.

Thea, meanwhile, focused her attention on the heavy weapon emplacements, quickly taking out gunners as their barrels swivelled menacingly toward Alpha Squad. She was well aware of the protection Isabella's heavy armour offered, yet she knew that even that might falter against the massive weapons and explosives employed by their foes.

Around them, the rest of the 32nd Company seemed almost sluggish in comparison.

The initial shock of the ambush had them reeling, their movements frantic and uncoordinated. While Alpha Squad had leveraged Thea's detailed initial report and their innate skills to immediate and devastating effect, despite their lack of experience in fighting together, the remainder of the company fumbled to find their footing. Their return fire was scattershot, their positioning disadvantageous.

But as the seconds ticked on, the tide began to turn. The discipline and training of the 32nd Company began to shine through, as the booming voices of their officers started to organise the mess. The chaotic scramble for position gave way to deliberate movement and focused fire. Slowly but surely, the UHF forces started to push back against the Stellar Republic's numerical and positional superiority.

The stark contrast between Alpha Squad's swift devastation and the rest of the company's gradual recovery served as a striking reminder of both the individual exceptionalism of Alpha Squad's members and the resilience of the UHF forces. The enemy was still pressing hard, but the 32nd Company was no longer merely reacting; they were acting, returning fire, regaining control.

A troubling observation began to gnaw at Thea's mind, however. As she unleashed another deadly beam at an enemy gunner's head, she realised she had seen no duplicates on the battlefield, nor had her instincts warned her of any false targets. In her mind, there were only two plausible explanations: Either her instincts had diminished or somehow altered since the cube trial, or they were facing an entire detachment of unintegrated soldiers.

Just as she replaced the second capacitor mag on her Gram and relayed her observations to the rest of the squad, she saw Desmond spring into action as well. Up until that point, he had been hunkering behind Lucas' shield, unable to affect the greater battlefield, as his drone factory had not yet completed the necessary work on his first deployable.

“Fucking finally,” Desmond muttered in exasperation as his Drone Factory module signaled the completion of his first deployable. The unit he had chosen was a close air-support drone, designed specifically for battlefield analysis and strategic elimination of priority targets. Swiftly, Desmond initiated the deployment sequence, and a mechanical whir filled the air as the drone detached itself from its housing and shot into the sky.

The drone itself was a sleek, agile piece of technology, a blend of sophisticated engineering and battle-hardened pragmatism. Its wings were thin but strong, allowing for rapid manoeuvrability, and its body housed a compact, yet lethal, .303 calibre gun. Its array of sensors and cameras fed real-time data back to Desmond, allowing him to see the battlefield from a bird's-eye view.

Surveying the area, Desmond's skilled hands manipulated the controls, guiding the drone as it scouted the Stellar Republic's lines. The information it collected was beyond invaluable, filling in the gaps left by Thea's initial report and providing updated insights into the enemy's position, equipment, and movements.

“Heavy weapon emplacements at 312, 345, 7, 18, 29 and 51 are out for the count, although 312 and 345 seem operable. The enemy is starting to focus their firepower on our position, so don't get caught. We’re putting heavy pressure on the western-most flank of their line, but the rest of the 32nd is slowly catching up. I can’t see any Duplicators, as the Cyan mentioned. I think these guys are all unintegrated…?”

Finding a couple of priority targets right as he finished his preliminary report, Desmond engaged the drone's weapon system.

The sharp crack of the .303 echoed as the bullets struck with lethal precision, taking out key enemy figures and further sowing chaos in their ranks. The drone's speed and accuracy allowed him to eliminate threats without exposing himself or his squadmates to unnecessary danger.

Next, Desmond activated his [Target Designator] Ability four times in quick succession, marking four select priority targets. An intricate display outlined the targets in the real world, each one coloured in bright red, with obscured parts marked in purple, and sections behind solid cover marked in blue. This detailed delineation provided an incredible level of information, allowing for more precise targeting.

Thea's eyes widened as she noticed the marked targets, and an internal thought struck her: This Ability is so overpowered! I definitely need to get the rest of the squad to buy it...!

The marked targets practically invited her weapon's aim, and she effortlessly took out three of the four priority targets in a split second, thanks to the detailed information provided by the Ability.

The fourth target had the misfortune of being targeted by a lethal trio.

The Ruin in Karania's hands, the Devastation wielded by Isabella, and Lucas' Havoc all zeroed in on the marked enemy simultaneously. The combined firepower converged on the target in a demonstration of overkill, leaving no chance for escape or survival. The spectacle of unnecessary firepower resulted in the target's annihilation, a clear case of overcommitment by the squad.

Seeing the waste of overlapping firepower, Thea could not help but think to herself, ‘We definitely need to coordinate this stuff better in the future…’, as she continued to focus her efforts on snipers and priority targets.

Just as Thea felt that Alpha Squad had begun to gain a foothold in the chaotic battlefield, the situation took a sudden turn for the worse. The intensity of the assault on their position escalated abruptly, as two heavy weapon emplacements further along the enemy’s battleline unleashed a hail of firepower from both directions.

A renewed pang shot through Thea's chest, and she immediately ducked behind Lucas' shield, knowing better than to second-guess her instincts at this point. She narrowly avoided the first massive rounds, which struck the dirt where she had been standing just moments before. Karania followed suit, trusting her squad’s scout’s instincts and movements in such dire situations, and took cover alongside her.

On the opposite side of the shield, however, Isabella was caught off-guard.

The deafening sound of the heavy weapon emplacement filled the air as its bullets bore down on her position. Before she could react, the rounds tore through her heavy armour, the unstoppable force shredding the once-sturdy protection and ripping into the left side of her abdomen.

Isabella stumbled and dropped behind the shield, holding her profusely bleeding wound with one hand, cursing at her own inattention and the agony that now consumed her, “Fuck! Fuck me, this hurts like a bitch… Fuck! How did I miss that fucking machine gun?!”

Karania, ever alert, immediately sprang into action to attend to her wounded squad member, simply letting go of her Ruin and letting it dangle off of her shoulder-strap, immediately reaching for a variety of medical supplies from the top of her backpack.

Activating her First-Aid module, Karania quickly staunched any lighter bleeding, as her skilled hands worked with clinical precision to get the next supplies ready to go. But the wounds were severe, and mere bandages applied by her module would not suffice.

With a sound that was a grotesque symphony of ripping flesh and breaking bones, her hands rapidly transformed into shaped-bone surgical instruments.

The field of battle was no place for surgery, but Karania's expertise and adaptability allowed her to perform the necessary triage. She worked quickly to stabilise Isabella, undoubtedly aware that every second counted.

Her hand reached for one of her many combat-stims on the belt at her hip, selecting a blue-coloured one that seemed to immediately lighten Isabella's pain. Without hesitation, she then forcefully ripped and tore at the area around the wound, removing armour plates, clothing, and flesh with an astounding speed.

To Thea, who was momentarily shocked by her squad mate getting hit and had been frozen, staring at the triage, Karania's actions resembled those of a human-sized mole digging for treasure more than a calm, practised surgeon. Isabella's blood, pieces of her armour, and flesh were thrown around and disposed of like garbage.

The scene was gruesome, but the efficiency and precision of Karania's actions were undeniable. Working quickly, she removed fragments of Isabella’s armour and the myriad bullet fragments lodged in her squad mate’s abdomen. Her focus was clear but singular: To save Isabella's life and get her back into the fight as swiftly as possible.

Snapping back to her own urgent situation, Thea realised that they were pinned down. With two heavy weapon emplacements firing at their shields from the worst possible angles, she had no way to take out the gunners, nor affect the battlefield as a whole.

Lucas was similarly preoccupied, needing to brace the shield with both hands and his full body to keep it from toppling over. The combined fire of two heavy weapon emplacements, as well as dozens of foot soldiers, was threatening to overwhelm the shield’s gravlock.

Desmond was similarly starting to sweat, as his drone had come under fire from the Stellar Republic forces and he had to spend a vast majority of his attention on keeping the drone away from the gunfire, rather than marking or taking out priority targets.

The situation was undoubtedly dire, and desperation began to gnaw at the edges of Alpha Squad's resolve. But Corvus, ever the staunch leader, cut through the tension with a reminder that infused the air with newfound confidence.

"Relax, guys. We're not alone in this," he commanded over the squad comms, his voice steady and reassuring. "With how much they're spending on pinning us down, they can't possibly be doing a good job of keeping the rest of the 32nd under control. Stay behind the shield, reload your weapons, and get ready for round two. We'll get our chance to shine again, don't worry."

A brief pause, then he added with a hint of uncharacteristic fury, "Staff-Sergeant Venn just informed me we're about to get some fire-support as well. Those fuckers won’t know what hit 'em..."

The words were charged with a raw edge, revealing a rare glimpse of Corvus's underlying anger. It seemed that even the level-headed leader had been affected by Isabella getting hit.

Those words resonated with the squad, providing a brief respite from the relentless pressure. Thea felt her own tension begin to ease slightly, replaced by a renewed sense of purpose and resolve.

As she reloaded her weapon, her mind cleared, focusing on the task at hand. Moving closer to Lucas, she deftly reloaded his Havoc as well. He nodded an acknowledgement, his body locked with grim determination, but merely grunted as he continued to put his full power into holding the shield upright. It was a thin barrier between life and death, and Lucas was all that was keeping their lives from being snuffed out.

Karania, meanwhile, was a perfect example of concentration and skill as she continued her triage on Isabella. Her hands, now transformed into different surgical instruments, worked with a deftness that seemed almost otherworldly. Every movement seemed meticulous and calculated, despite the rapid pace at which she worked.

Desmond was similarly engaged in a battle of his own, sweat beading on his forehead as he manoeuvred his drone. He had decided not to wear his full helmet until they got closer to the forest, a decision he most likely sorely regretted by now. A portion of the Stellar Republic forces had targeted his drone, and he was forced to divert the majority of his attention to keeping the drone alive.

Focused and determined, he worked to manoeuvre it back towards their location for a re-arm, preparing for the "second round" that Corvus had so emphatically called for. The pressure was intense, but Desmond's eyes never wavered from the controls, his hands steady as he guided the precious piece of equipment through the battlefield's chaos.

Finally, the drone set down right next to Desmond, and he breathed a sigh of relief, exclaiming, “Haaa… those freaking freaks trying to kill my baby… I swear when we get to go for round two, I’ll absolutely blow them apart!”

Thea couldn’t help but grin at Desmond's uncharacteristic attachment to his drone, his words filled with a fatherly connection that seemed both endearing and absurd in the heat of battle.

Yet, she made the conscious decision not to let on that she had heard anything at all.

She stole a brief glance towards Karania, who was still fully engaged in the emergency surgery on Isabella, hands deep inside her squad mate's wounded abdomen. 'I hope she'll make it... Poor Ella...' Thea thought, concern lacing her internal voice.

But her attention was abruptly pulled away by a tremendous roaring from the south.

The sound was massive, like a gigantic thundercloud in the process of unleashing its fury upon the battlefield.

With a sudden jolt of realisation, she understood that the sound was approaching — and approaching extremely rapidly at that…