The Allbright System - A Sci-Fi Progression LitRPG Story

Morin quickly closed the gap between them, assisting Thea to her feet while locking eyes with her. "What did you just say?"

Gathering her wits after the unsettling vision, Thea met Morin's towering gaze. “We can’t continue here. There’s a Seeker minefield right in front of us. Or at least that’s what you called them; I’ve never personally heard about them before.”

“I… called them that? What the fuck are you talking about?” Morin's voice was tinged with bewildered confusion.

Luckily for Thea, Viladia jumped in, closing the distance between herself and Morin with a quick step and whispering into his ear, while gesturing towards Thea and the minefield to their north.

Thankful to Viladia for not having to do an exhaustive debrief right now, Thea took the brief moment to take stock of what exactly she had just experienced. ‘I’m a fucking Wielder… I really am. Viladia was 100% spot-on with everything she said, down to the fact that I could conjure up these strange visions. What exactly does that mean for me now, though? Do I not have to go through with that gruesome training the UHF promised to help me with…?’

As she pondered, another thought occurred to her. 'No, the UHF training is about hitting the threshold for the Psychic Attribute, to secure a T1 Psyker Class. It shouldn't relate to being a Wielder... right?'

One fact became crystal clear: Thea desperately needed more information about what all of this entailed. Before her moment of reprieve concluded, she swiftly checked her Status to gauge how much Focus her vision had consumed; she knew that she’d definitely need all the Focus she could get for this coming leg of the journey.

[Status]

Thea McKay - Level 4.26 - Contribution Points: 117.55 / 440 - Unspent Attribute Points: 0

HP: 116 / 123 - Stamina: 73 / 155 - Focus: 94 / 215 - TBD - TBD

Class: None - Specialization: None - Title: None - TBD - TBD

‘Wait, what? I lost Stamina?! This is a first… I think. So this strange Psychic Vision thing takes Focus and Stamina? How does any of this work?!’

Frustration bubbled up inside of Thea, being presented with a slew of new mechanics that she had no actual grasp of understanding in the current situation. ‘If we weren’t on a timer, I’d grab Viladia and have her explain everything in detail, fuck!’

If there was one thing that could drive Thea insane, it was not knowing how to min/max the resources at her disposal. When it came to being a professional gamer back on Lumiosia, what truly set her apart from others was her undying commitment to squeezing every last bit of power out of the resources she had at her disposal.

But in order to do that, one needed to first understand every bit of mechanics that went into those resources. Right now, she was simply walking in the dark.

‘Look on the bright side, at least now I know what this strange instinct is, that’s been with me since the Cube Trial… Actually… Maybe even before that?’

A torrent of vivid memories surged through Thea's consciousness—moments where she'd inexplicably opted for one course of action over another, preserving her life. In contrast, her peers—often denigrated as 'gutter trash' by the local populace—had either been ruthlessly murdered, raped or 'recruited' into the nefarious gangs that plagued the undercity.

While once or twice might have been pure luck, thinking back to her early days in the undercity, she now realised that she had never truly run into any major threats.

‘Was this all thanks to being a Wielder…? Have I always been one…?’

Before Thea could tumble further into existential questioning, Morin interjected, "So that's why Venn paired you with us. Good call, Patchwork. You just saved our asses, big time."

His voice shifted to a more ponderous tone. "But this isn't a good sign for the bigger picture. Seeker mines are almost T2-level tech. The System still categorising them as T1 baffles me. The biggest issue is that the Stellar Republic should not have them at this stage…? Or is this the first time they’ve had them…?"

Lost in thoughts Thea couldn't fully grasp, Morin fell silent, contemplating the broader ramifications of the Seeker minefield. Viladia, her visor barely concealing a look of concern, approached Thea. "You holding up, Patches?"

Appreciating this nickname far more than the previous one, Thea nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just felt a wave of dizziness from experiencing that brutal death in the vision. Totally caught me off guard."

Unable to contain her curiosity, she inquired, "How do you know so much about Psykers and Wielders? You're not either yourself, are you?"

A flurry of emotions danced across Viladia's face before she answered, "No, sadly not. My Base Attributes lean towards Finesse and Stamina, so I've been chasing the minimum Psychic Attribute requirements since around Level 13."

Her frown intensified. "I've delved into every piece of literature and research on Psychic Abilities that I could find. Just trying to be ready for when I finally unlock it. But it's like whack-a-mole; every time I think I've got a handle on one aspect, five more crop up. And without that Psychic unlock, I can't enrol in the Psychic 101 classes to get proper instruction. It's incredibly frustrating!"

With a resigned sigh and a self-mocking smile, Viladia added, “I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d definitely kill to have your abilities, ha!”

Unsure of how to reply to that, Thea decided to simply nod and remain silent. However, her competitive nature immediately roared to life as she tried to do so, prompting her to simply blurt out her thoughts, “So, can you teach me then? Since I’m a Wielder ‘n’ all, I could probably use the information you have.”

On some level, Thea understood that the request was insensitive, having picked up on some social skills during her time with Alpha Squad, although she wasn’t quite at the level of social acumen yet to understand why it was insensitive in particular.

In her mind, if someone could make better use of the information, it was only logical to share it with that person.

To Thea's relief, Viladia laughed at her request instead of taking offence. "You're pretty ruthless, aren't you, Patches? Sure, I'll share what I know. But you have to promise to share your discoveries as well. A fair exchange, what do you think?"

Eager for a chance to unravel the strange happenings that had surrounded her since the Cube Trial, Thea quickly gripped Viladia's extended hand with a grin. "Sounds like a deal!"

As if on cue, Morin chimed in, interrupting their moment. "Enough small talk. We've got a minefield to cross."

Startled, Viladia stepped back. "Wait, what? Cross? Those are Seeker mines, Morin. We have zero chance of making it through that field!"

Watching the conversation between the two experienced Marines from the side-lines, Thea absent-mindedly noted how the dull ache in her body had intensified over the past couple of minutes and her mind felt a lot more put together than before.

'Looks like the meds are finally wearing off. Kara must've gone overboard with the dosage, or something. They’ve been fucking me up, hard.’

"I'm well aware that we can't just waltz through a field of Seekers, Vi. You don't need to spell it out," Morin said, his tone firm yet congenial. "Either Venn had some insider info we didn’t, or his habit of triple-contingency planning paid off once again."

Morin then unlatched a compartment at the rear of his heavy armour, revealing a distinctive device. Thea instantly recognized it as T1 tech, the unique sheen of the unfamiliar alloys evoking memories of weapons and armour she had browsed on her recent shopping excursion. The device was a streamlined cylinder with a matte finish, adorned with dim indicators and a variety of ports, hinting at its multifaceted capabilities.

Viladia's eyes widened in disbelief as she muttered, "A Disruptor?! How in the Void did he—?"

While Thea couldn’t see Morin’s face behind the heavy armour’s full helmet, she could definitely hear the grin in his next words, “Honestly? I have no idea. Venn must’ve bribed a Lieutenant or something, to get a Disruptor for this mission. Regardless of how he did it, however, he did. And we got a job to do. So, group up, Strike One!”

His last words were projected loud enough to reach Einor, who had been vigilantly monitoring the surroundings, ensuring their discussions hadn’t made them easy targets for an ambush.

As Einor joined the group, Morin immediately launched into an animated briefing. "Listen up, everyone. This beauty in my hands is a Disruptor—System Tech.

“It knocks out any same-Tier tech within its radius. That means if you have actuators in your armour, expect them to go offline when this baby's active. We're all good without tech, right? Nobody’s gonna fall over ‘cause they got a T1 heart or something?"

Nods of affirmation circled the group.

"Fantastic," Morin muttered, continuing his rundown. "So here's how it'll go: Patchwork, you're on point. The Disruptor will kill the 'seeker' tech in the mines, but it won't touch the mechanical triggers. So, we can't afford to step on them; they've got old-school mechanical detonators as a backup. Everyone else, shadow her footsteps like your lives depend on it—because they literally do. Patchwork’s got some Psychic mojo, according to Vi, and that gives her the best shot at navigating this minefield quickly. Any questions?"

Catching a wink from Viladia behind Morin, Thea felt a silent surge of encouragement—'You've got this,' the gesture seemed to say.

While the weight of the mission's success rested heavily on her shoulders, Thea found herself oddly composed. This wasn't a new skill she had to suddenly master; it was a matter of trusting her already honed and experienced instincts.

In her mind, evading a minefield was not vastly different from dodging bullets or sidestepping sword strikes, all of which she had done before; multiple times. They each presented a lethal threat and the stakes ultimately remained the same—life or death.

Seeing that no one had any questions, Morin gave the signal to form up. With a sense of purpose in his movements, he activated the Disruptor.

As Morin pressed one of the buttons on the Disruptor, the device emitted an almost silent airburst. Thea felt a subtle pressure wave gently push against her, travelling outward until it encompassed the squad in a nearly invisible, translucent bubble about six metres in radius.

Immediately as the wave of pressure pressed against her, Thea noticed the effects of the Disruptor's influence. Her armour's sensors flatlined, and her helmet's Heads-Up Display flickered off abruptly, plunging her into a pure reliance on her natural senses. Even her Spectre’s cloak lost its adaptive camouflaging abilities, reverting back to its intrinsic silver hue.

Thea also noticed subtle changes among her squad members. Morin's imposing heavy armour seemed to sag ever so slightly. Its built-in actuators, now disabled, relinquished their supportive role, causing the immense weight of the armour to fully press down on his already substantial frame.

Meanwhile, Viladia's previously pitch-black armour transitioned into a more natural matte black colour, as if it had been stripped of some stealth-enhancing function. Additionally, Einor's belt caught her attention; the injectors that had been emitting a characteristic hue were now dimmed, their visual glow snuffed out like candles.

In this tech-muted bubble, it was as if they had all been reverted to a more primitive version of their capable selves, operating solely on their innate skills and gut instincts.

‘That is a seriously dangerous device…’ Thea thought to herself as she observed the Disruptor in Morin’s hands. The capability to simply neutralise any and all T1 Tech with a mere button press was an aspect she hadn't considered possible until now.

Given that Morin had labelled it 'System-Tech,' it likely wasn't a piece of equipment one could simply purchase from the shopping district; it would probably require Merit, if Thea had to take a guess. Still, she mentally bookmarked the Disruptor's existence as crucial intel.

After all, its capabilities could be a game-changer in upcoming missions for Alpha Squad.

With the Disruptor's protective field enveloping them, Morin signalled for Thea to proceed when she felt ready. As she was about to set foot into the minefield, a crucial thought struck her—a realisation she attributed to her clearing mind as the drugs wore off.

Swivelling toward Viladia, she inquired, "Could you set up another one of those stealth fields? We're about to move into open terrain, and there's no telling how long it'll take to get across safely. We’re unlikely to be seen, but just in case, a contingency shouldn’t hurt, right?"

A heartfelt smile blossomed on Viladia's face as she responded, "Absolutely, Patches! I was planning on readying one regardless of whether you asked or not. Good to see you're adopting the mindset of a seasoned Scout. It won't exactly be a bubble, though—more like a plane, since we only need cover from one angle."

A surge of warmth flooded Thea's chest at Viladia's compliment.

Recognition from someone clearly more proficient in the field instilled a unique sense of pride that she found deeply gratifying. Masking her smile by turning her attention back to the treacherous terrain ahead, Thea took her first step into the minefield.

Fully relying on her instincts, Thea executed each step with resolute intention, poised to trigger her precognitive senses and, if necessary, swiftly alter her course. Behind her, the squad followed in her exact footsteps.

One difficulty that the squad faced however, was that Morin, encased in his bulky heavy armour, had feet nearly twice the size of Thea's. Having noted the slack in Morin's armour when the Disruptor was activated and seeing the subsequent, heavy footprints he left in the ground, Thea had resolved herself to take careful, staggered steps.

Additionally, she didn't fully commit to each step's final placement until she had also assessed the safety of the surrounding ground, ensuring a secure path for Morin's oversized boots.

With a heightened sense of awareness, Thea carefully yet methodically led Strike One through the treacherous minefield. Her feet seemed to almost float above the ground, her movements more like a carefully choreographed dance than a walk. Each step was a calculated risk, evaluated and re-evaluated again and again within fractions of a second.

She felt her senses sharpen, every nerve in her body attuned to the barely perceptible vibrations of the earth, the subtle shifts in the air and her own, strange instincts.

For the first time in her, arguably short, career as a Marine, Thea felt like a true Scout.

A burst of giddy excitement momentarily overcame her.

This was it; this was the pinnacle of what she had aimed for when she had imagined becoming a Scout/Sniper more than two years ago, at the end of the Cube Trial’s exhilarating experiences. The thought of being the vanguard, the silent guide leading her team through a dangerous path—one nobody else could navigate quite like her—filled her with a sense of purpose and determination she had never felt before.

All she needed now was a few distant, high-priority targets to eliminate, and this mission would become a textbook example of a Scout/Sniper operation.

Just as she relished this thought, an abrupt and jarring pang of danger surged through her chest, different from the meticulous, purposeful ones she had been inducing with her footsteps.

It was raw, urgent, instinctual—and most of all, distinctly recognizable.

She almost faltered and stepped down onto a mine as her heart rate spiked drastically, barely catching herself and adjusting her footstep to a safe location. She turned towards Viladia in a state of sudden panic, eyes wide. With a swift, desperate gesture, she signalled for the Stealth expert to activate her stealth plane.

Viladia immediately understood Thea’s sudden, faltering movements and her attempt at turning towards her. With a fluid motion, she initiated her stealth Ability, creating a plane of illusory distortion towards the western-hand side, shielding them from prying eyes in the direction they most needed it, before Thea had fully finished her panicked gesturing.

In a palpable state of tension, everyone in Strike One froze in their tracks.

The air seemed to thicken, each second stretching out as they held their collective breath, hoping that Viladia's hastily erected stealth plane would provide the needed cloak against any prying eyes.

Thea felt the danger pang in her chest wane as soon as Viladia's plane shimmered into existence, although the source of the threat remained unknown.

For now, at least, they seemed to be safe.

All the while, Viladia looked toward Thea, her eyes searching for a signal to continue.

It was a delicate moment; Thea needed Viladia to genuinely intend to lower the stealth plane before her precognition could tell her whether it was safe to do so; this was something Thea had figured out during the Cube Trial, when she had tried finding a way to differentiate the duplicators from their clones.

Yet, how could she convey this intricate, delicate message without using words? Speaking out loud could give their position away, unravelling all their efforts.

Thea's mind raced. She locked eyes with Viladia, attempting to send a nonverbal cue. Her facial expressions became a subtle dance of eyebrows and eye shifts, a desperate attempt to articulate an immensely complex thought through the most rudimentary of means.

Time seemed to slow as Thea's eyes darted briefly toward the stealth plane and back to Viladia, hoping the Stealth expert would understand her silent plea. Her fingers twitched involuntarily, as if trying to signal something, but she lacked the knowledge of any gestures that could adequately convey her meaning.

Every passing second ramped up the internal turmoil within her, as she prayed that her intent would translate into understanding, and ultimately, into action. She was painfully aware of the fact that Viladia couldn’t hold the plane active for long, especially considering her earlier exhaustion and if they had any hope of relying on it as a contingency for the rest of the mission as well.

Viladia's facial expressions shifted between confusion and a genuine intent to understand what Thea was trying to communicate.

Her eyes squinted slightly, brows furrowing as she tried to decipher the subtle nuances of Thea's gestures. The stalemate was almost unbearable for Thea, who felt each second stretch into an eternity of silence filled with unspoken urgency.

Then, inspiration struck.

Thea deliberately guided her foot toward a scarcely hidden mine, visible enough for even Viladia to spot from her vantage point. As her foot descended with clear intent to set off the mine, Viladia's eyes widened in sudden alarm. Just when it seemed like Thea would truly touch the device, she abruptly halted her motion, allowing her foot to hover mere millimetres above the mine's metallic surface. With a swift movement, she returned to her upright stance, locking eyes with Viladia again.

Then, Thea motioned toward the stealth veil, her hands mimicking the act of parting it like a curtain, but also signalling for Viladia to hold.

A light of understanding finally flickered in Viladia's eyes. The Stealth expert locked gazes with Thea and pointed toward her own chest, her eyebrow arching in a questioning manner.

Realisation washed over Thea at the gesture; Viladia was referencing the pang in her chest, the unique signature of her precognitive abilities that they had shared information about earlier. Nodding vehemently, Thea couldn't help but flash a broad grin, a silent cheer for their newfound, wordless understanding in the midst of palpable tension.

Viladia attempted to follow Thea's nonverbal instructions, her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried to fully engage with the mental intent behind her actions. Thea, meanwhile, was hyper-focused on her danger sense, trying to detect any sign of a threat.

However, it soon became apparent that Viladia was struggling to find the right balance, her actions seemingly lacking the full commitment necessary to trigger Thea's precognition. There was clearly a large gulf of experience between the two of them, in terms of creating this required level of intent, with Viladia completely unaccustomed to the idea of fully intending to do something, but still leaving herself open to cancel the action at the last instant.

Understanding that full trust was required for this to work, Thea caught Viladia’s attention once again, her gaze steady and reassuring. She gestured for Viladia to relax, her movements smooth and calming. Thea's confident demeanour visibly eased some of Viladia’s hidden tension, her shoulders dropping ever so slightly as she drew in a deep breath, her gaze locked onto Thea's.

With a slow, serious nod, Viladia turned her attention back towards the veil and tried again.

For a few heart-stopping moments, nothing happened. Then suddenly, Thea felt a pang in her chest, the unmistakable sign of impending danger. She immediately motioned for Viladia to halt the deactivation of the stealth plane. Viladia, having barely begun the process, managed to catch herself just in time, slightly wavering at the strange feeling of having cancelled the deactivation of her own Ability.

The two held their position in another stretched moment of quiet tension, the air practically humming with the weight of it. They attempted the intricate sequence a few more times—Viladia reaching towards deactivation with full intent, and Thea sharply tuning in to her precognitive senses. After the third try yielded another pang, Thea felt a rush of urgency.

They couldn't keep this up much longer.

Finally, on the fourth attempt, Thea sensed… nothing—no forewarning of doom, no gut-punch of precognition.

This time, when she didn’t interrupt, Viladia allowed her hands to drop, the veil of the stealth plane flickering out of existence. Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead, glistening in the light of the sun rays breaking through the canopy above. The exertion of sustaining and nearly deactivating her Ability multiple times had clearly drained her mentally.

No sooner had the stealth plane vanished than Thea picked up her pace, keenly aware that Viladia's reserves were depleted and that further reliance on her Ability might be risky at best. Her eyes scanned the ground as she navigated the remaining expanse of the minefield, her steps deliberate yet quick. Each step was an affirmation of her skills, each avoided mine a validation of her role.

Once again, she felt the true gravity and thrill of being a Scout.

Still, she couldn't afford to bask in the rush of fulfilment; the mission wasn't over. With Viladia's Abilities all but exhausted, there was no more room for error.

With confident, secure steps, Thea led the rest of Strike One through the minefield in the following minute, finally reaching an area behind a few azure trees that shielded them from the potential prying eyes of the Stellar Republic’s lines to the west, which did not require careful manoeuvring.

As the remainder of Strike One emerged cautiously from the minefield, Thea looked back at the stretch of land they had crossed.

To her surprise, its width was less than a hundred metres. What had felt like an overwhelming expanse while navigating through it now seemed almost disappointingly small in hindsight.

‘That’s it? Really? It looks so small from here,’ Thea lamented internally. ‘And yet it felt like such a massive obstacle when we were in the thick of it…’

Once Strike One had fully regrouped behind the cover of the trees, Viladia took the opportunity to lean against a trunk, drawing several deep breaths to recover. Meanwhile, Morin approached Thea, his voice tinged with unmistakable satisfaction as he whispered, "Fucking phenomenal job, Patchwork!"

Waving a hand vaguely in the direction of Viladia and the now-cleared minefield, he added, "Though, mind filling me in on this? I feel like I missed a crucial part of the memo on what exactly transpired between you two back there."

Seizing the moment to collect herself—her nerves still frayed from the tension-filled crossing—Thea recounted her silent exchange with Viladia in the middle of the minefield. She elaborated on how her precognitive sense of danger operated, emphasising the necessity of genuine intent to activate it.

Though Morin seemed somewhat puzzled by the exact details of how her precognition seemed to operate, his focus never wavered throughout her explanation. To Thea, this marked him as a seasoned Marine: Even if the nuances eluded him, he eagerly absorbed the information with the clear intent of potentially applying it in future situations.

After Thea concluded her explanation, Morin rallied the squad and gestured for her to resume her role as the guide, steering them toward their ultimate objective: the mysterious, walled compound.

The sight of the walls materialised quickly once they had navigated past the minefield; they were, after all, only about half a kilometre away from their final destination at that point.

Thea guided the squad to a cluster of densely packed trees, utilising their robust trunks as a shield for the, most likely, final respite of their mission. She motioned for the rest to hold their positions as she lifted the scope of her Gram to her eye level, intending to survey the compound from a safe distance.

Just before her eye met the scope, two distinct sensations jolted her focus.

First, she was taken aback when she saw her hand—melted skin haphazardly taped around the grip of the Gram. She'd been running and gunning with it attached to her for the past hour, but this was the first time she'd consciously observed the state of her injured hand, ever since the haze in her head had lifted.

'What the fuck did I do?!' she thought, alarmed.

Almost instantaneously, fragments of memory flooded back: Waking up in the trenches and the subsequent overcharge of her Caliburn, leading to the grisly condition her hand was now in.

'Ah, right. That. That’s fair.'

The second sensation, however, caused her to freeze.

The dull ache that had been her constant companion since the bubble lifted had transformed—morphed into an acute, piercing pain that radiated through her entire body.

A pain that seemed to continuously intensify at an alarming rate…