The Allbright System - A Sci-Fi Progression LitRPG Story

Thea stopped by at the nutrient paste machine on her way home. She picked up three chicken-flavoured packs to celebrate her extraordinary day with Old Man James. It was unlikely she would need her imperial credits much after joining the UHF, so she decided to be a bit more extravagant with her savings.

Racing back home, after stowing away the packs in her backpack, which she had retrieved from the arcade after her 'talk' with Major Daxton, she could not help but feel elated. This reset day had truly become something unforgettable for her.

She had set out this morning in the hopes of getting maybe a couple of prizes from the different ladders, but by the time she was returning home, she had not even taken a single glance at them altogether. So much had happened, it didn't even feel like the same day to her.

As she waited for the biometric lock at the front door of her and Old Man James’ shack to open, she could barely contain her excitement.

When the door finally opened, she rushed inside, immediately looking for Old Man James.

She found him sitting at the dinner table in the kitchen/living room, reading something on his private data pad, as he usually did when Thea was out.

Hearing the biometric lock unseal and open the door, Old Man James looked up at Thea with a warm smile. He greeted her in his usual gentle manner, but upon seeing the large cut and the dried blood on her cheek, his expression froze in a grimace that Thea could not properly decipher, "Welcome ho— What happened?"

She had completely forgotten about the cut on her cheek, which had been caused by the exploding plasteel knife in her altercation with Major Daxton.

Heading over towards the sink in a casual manner, she waved the veteran's concerns aside, “Ahh, nothing much, really. I’ll tell you all about it! I got huge news… I don’t even know where to start! So much happened today, Old Man! Your eyes will pop out, I swear!”

With a raised eyebrow, Old Man James reclined in his chair and put away the data pad, before addressing Thea, “If you say so, missy. Go wash up first and then tell me what exactly happened to your face.”

She quickly went to the bathroom to get a proper cleaning done in front of the mirror, before rushing back to the dining table to take a seat on the opposite side of him and immediately jumping into a detailed retelling of her day, “Soooo… it all started when I got to the arcade this morning. You won’t believe what I found inside! There was a gigantic new-tech cube placed right in the middle of it…!”

Over the next three hours, Thea gave an in-depth account of everything that had happened to her on reset day.

Old Man James was very attentive throughout it all, asking a ton of clarifying questions, and generally seemed to enjoy listening to Thea’s excited retelling from start to finish. He paid especially close attention when she got to the altercation with the UHF Major, but remained silent throughout that portion of the retelling.

As Thea finally wound down her excitement and sank back into her chair with a satisfied expression on her face, he finally posed a series of questions, doing his best to keep a neutral face, “So… let me get this straight: When you left the simulation, you saw a tall man in a black coat talk to Thomas, who then pointed you out to the man, prompting him to turn to you and your instincts alone made you run for your life?

“And you then got chased down by him throughout the entire local undercity, back to my old apartment, where he kicked down a 20cm thick plasteel door with ease?

“And… your first response was to try and kill that exact man? With a knife?”

Thea knew where the old man was going with all this and could not bear to look him in the eyes. Her ears were figuratively burning with embarrassment, before she let out a meek, “Yes, Sir…”

The following moment of silence was short-lived, as Old Man James suddenly burst into a hearty, loud laughter that echoed throughout the entire shack.

"You straight up went and committed a capital crime without even thinking about the entire scenario for a second… Hahaha!

“The simple fact that Thomas pointed you out to him should have ticked you off, that the man was not a threat, no?

“Or maybe you could have looked at the man's front-side to see his rank badge?" Struggling to speak between bursts of laughter, Old Man James nearly toppled over on his chair, barely able to hold himself up.

Thea's face turned a deep shade of crimson throughout the laughter, making the UHF's colour palette seem monochromatic in comparison. She knew the veteran would never let this go and would undoubtedly bring it up on numerous future occasions.

However, she was also happy to see Old Man James enjoying himself so thoroughly.

It was rare to witness the veteran in such high spirits, so she begrudgingly accepted the ridicule this time.

As the seconds ticked by, she grew more and more irritated by the old man's continuous laughter. After about half a minute, she finally snapped with a pout, “I get it! I was stupid, okay?! Can we move on now? For fuck’s sake…! Give it a rest, will ya?!”

Much to her chagrin, her outburst only intensified the old man's fit of laughter, and tears started running down his cheeks. She reluctantly waited out the veteran's laughter, her face burning from the continued ridicule.

When he finally calmed himself down and wiped the tears from his cheeks, he addressed Thea again, “Haaa… oh man, I haven't laughed like that in a very long time. That was fantastic, thank you, missy. I definitely won't forget any of this.

“Now… let's get back to the story at hand. Didn't you say you had something else to tell me? What did the Major actually end up wanting from you?”

Thea had purposefully obfuscated that part of the story, but at Old Man James' prompting, her face turned into a bright smile again as she stood up from her chair.

Standing ramrod straight and performing a textbook UHF salute, she announced, “Recruit Thea with the UHF, reporting for duty, Sir!”

The veteran's eyes widened at her declaration, causing Thea's smile to brighten even further. The gleaming pride in her eyes was apparent as she continued to hold the salute.

Wide-eyed but also smiling, Old Man James, in a fit of uncharacteristic surprise, stammered, “I… I don't know what to say to that. Congratulations! Seriously, that's incredible!

“At ease, Recruit. Take a seat! We have to celebrate this occasion!”

With a beaming smile at her successful surprise, she quickly grabbed her bag and pulled out the chicken-flavoured nutrient packs, offering them to Old Man James to prepare.

“I bought them on my way home to celebrate!” she explained in response to the veteran's questioning glance.

They both sat down together at the dinner table and enjoyed their celebratory dinner, while continuing to chat about Thea's experiences throughout the day.

Much to Thea's chagrin, she quickly learned that Sergeant Selene had been completely truthful when she warned her of not finding the answers she was looking for.

Even Old Man James seemed unable to provide any answers to her burning questions regarding the things she had seen and experienced inside the simulation. Surprisingly however, he specifically pointed out that he couldn't even explain why he was unable to do so, which only added to Thea's confusion.

However, he promised that she would understand soon enough, once she got through the first part of the UHF's training. This assurance left Thea with a mixture of anticipation and curiosity, eager to uncover the answers and quench her continuously snubbed curiosity.

After they had finished their celebratory dinner together and their conversation had died down, Old Man James returned to reading things on his data pad, while Thea eagerly started filling out the UHF application form that Major Daxton had prepared for her.

She had to answer a lot of different questions and input a lot of data about herself, such as her height, weight, age, natural hair and eye-colour, as well as all of her known medical history.

The questions she had to answer were mostly related to her intentions with the sign up, any prior experience with combat, pre-existing weapon training and around thirty other questions that all tried to collect as much information about her as possible.

She rapidly went through them all, as most of them didn’t apply to her yet, due to her young age, until she quickly found herself at the end of the application form.

There, she found what she had been looking for: Her assessment information.

Major Daxton had already filled out all relevant parts for her, such as the exact description of her assessment mission, her candidate number and ranking on completion.

The one part that was still left empty however, was the one Thea had been searching for. It was listed as “Debriefing Personnel”.

With a smile on her face at remembering the goofy Sergeant, she filled in all the information regarding her debrief with Auxiliary Staff Sergeant Selene. She added a bit of a white-lie, stating that Selene had played a major role in her consideration for signing up. While not technically the truth, Selene had helped her immensely after the completion of the challenge.

With a satisfied expression on her face, she closed the corresponding part of the form, after thoroughly praising Selene’s capabilities as a debriefing officer. With that, she had completed the first part of her promise to the Sergeant and she swore to herself that she would uphold the second part as well, no matter the cost.

Returning to the main page of the application, she stopped for a moment, as she weighed her options carefully. Deciding it was best to consult an expert on the matter, she looked up at Old Man James across the table and said, “Say… in the application form, it asks me for my name, which makes sense… but, it also asks me for a family name. Do you think I should just leave it blank, or should I just come up with a family name for myself? Think it makes a difference?”

The old veteran briefly considered the question, thinking back to his own time in the UHF and the experiences he had made, before answering.

“Hmm… During my time, we had a couple of Recruits and Privates that didn’t come with a family name attached. While most people didn’t care, there were definitely a couple of asshats that bullied them for it. The UHF will protect you from any harmful acts, of course, but the social damage it caused was definitely not entirely trivial…,” his voice trailed off, as he fell into deep thought again.

After a short moment and a self-assuring nod at whatever plan he just came up with, he looked up from his datapad at Thea and gave her an inquisitive look. She felt slightly uncomfortable being scrutinised in such a way, but she held firm and waited for Old Man James to finish his answer. After all, his input was invaluable to her, as he was the foremost expert on all things UHF.

Seemingly having made a decision, he lowered his head back to his datapad and continued, “I can’t exactly tell whether it would cause trouble or not, but considering your place of birth, young age, and the whole cyan solution situation, I doubt it would do you any favours to add any potential further avenues of attack.

“Listen, why don’t you just put down my family name, just to be sure? It’s McKay, by the way, I don’t think I’ve ever even shared that with you…?

“You’re basically my daughter already, after all. If anyone asks, I’d proudly declare you as my own, so you don’t need to worry about that part.”

A myriad of emotions flooded Thea’s mind at once, all plainly visible on her face. She went through half a dozen facial expressions in a matter of seconds, ranging from a stunned look, over utter confusion to embarrassment. Her vision had blurred as well, intensifying her confused emotional state, and she quickly hid her face behind the datapad in her hands.

A long moment of silence followed, as Thea wrestled with her emotions, hot tears running down her cheeks and dripping into the sleeves of her hoodie. She had never expected Old Man James to see her like that, much less openly acknowledge it.

Though their relationship had rarely involved close emotional connections, it was apparent to both of them that they cared for each other on a deeper level. For the old man to suddenly make such a statement felt extremely unfair to her. She hadn't anticipated it and didn't have time to emotionally prepare herself.

With her hands still slightly shaking from the emotional turmoil that gripped her, she finally broke the silence. Before filling in 'McKay' as her family name on the application, she managed to finally reply, “...Who would even want to be your daughter, you old geezer?”

Her response lacked the usual sharpness and defiance that typically accompanied her witty retorts to Old Man James' antics, but if he noticed the difference, he didn't show it. An amused snort was the only response she received, as they both continued to be thoroughly engrossed in their own respective datapads.

Shortly after, they returned to their usual dynamic, the previous conversation seemingly pushed aside. About an hour later, they both retired to their respective bedrooms.

Thea, however, did not get much sleep that night, as she replayed the day's events in her head over and over again. Her emotions remained tumultuous for quite some time before she finally managed to fall asleep, many hours later, her face marked with a genuine and relaxed smile…

Thea headed to the arcade the next morning after her usual daily routine of workouts and breakfast with Old Man James.

It was a slightly foggy day that bathed the undercity in a mysterious, silvery shimmer—a welcome change to the usually drab rockcrete jungle.

She arrived earlier than usual, wanting to spend some additional time talking to Thomas before the arcade opened its doors to the undercity patrons. It was unlikely they would get much time to chat once the day really started, as the Cube had significantly increased the number of patrons visiting the arcade.

Entering through the back door as usual, she saw Thomas already sitting inside the main room of the arcade, working on his datapad behind the front desk.

Approaching him from the employee room doorway, she waved and started with an apology, "Good morning, Thomas! Sorry for bailing on you so quickly yesterday after getting my bag. I really had to get home ASAP; lots of exciting things happened, and I had to share them with the Old Man before I forgot half of them."

Thomas looked up from his datapad as he heard Thea approach from the doorway and gave her an acknowledging nod, wearing his usual friendly smile on his face. "Good morning, Thea. Don't worry about bailing; I was just happy to see you in one piece.

“I really wasn't sure what the Major was going to do if he caught up to you, but he didn't seem like a bad guy, so I wasn't too concerned overall. Thanks for letting me know you were alright yesterday, though. I was worried sick that I'd have to find James and explain to him how you got murdered on my watch…" He ended on that dark note with a shudder.

"Ah, yes. Worrying about the Old Man's reaction more than me getting murdered. Typical," Thea teased with a cheeky grin before adding, "I actually have a lot to talk to you about, do you mind?"

Putting away the datapad and gesturing towards one of the nearby chairs, Thomas looked at her expectantly. "Of course, go ahead!"

Sitting down on one of the indicated chairs, Thea began to enthusiastically retell everything that had happened the previous day, while Thomas attentively listened.

"So the cylinders are actually called ‘Sim-Pods’ by the UHF. They're part of a Deep-Dive Simulation—really advanced tech stuff—that can emulate the real world with a 99.9% accuracy…"

Around an hour later, Thea was finally winding down on the detailed recounting. "…and that's when I got back here and got my backpack. It was a very eventful day, as you can see!"

Thomas had been intently listening to her enthusiastic story, although he did not ask nearly as many clarifying questions as Old Man James had the night before. He was particularly gripped by her descriptions of the Deep-Dive Simulation technology and often glanced towards the Cube, which still stood imposingly in the centre of his arcade, with a mixture of awe and apprehension.

"Eventful day is a bit of an understatement for the amount of stuff you went through, Thea. That's pretty crazy, all things considered! I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, though. I don't know anyone else who would go through all of this and find it an exciting experience, rather than mortifying," he replied, shaking his head at the danger-loving teenager.

"That reminds me, actually. There was another big reason why I wanted to talk to you this early, Thomas," she started into the next topic, her voice taking on a more serious tone, immediately grabbing Thomas's attention.

"My assessment went very well, as you know… The Major who followed me was there to recruit me to the UHF! I'll be leaving Lumiosia in six days to go for basic training and become a real UHF marine, Thomas!" Thea jumped up and down on the spot from sheer excitement, a big smile plastered on her face as she made the declaration.

Thomas's eyes widened at Thea's sudden declaration, his expression a mix of surprise, happiness, and concern. He took a moment to process the news, trying to find the right words to express his emotions. "Wow, Thea… that's amazing! I'm really happy for you, but I can't help being a little worried too," he admitted, his voice wavering slightly.

Thea's smile faltered a bit as she took in his reaction, but she quickly reassured him, "Hey, don't worry, Thomas. I know it's a big step, and there will be risks, but I'll be trained by the best of the best, right? I'm sure they'll prepare me for anything I might face out there. Just look at Old Man James, he’s like a thousand years old!"

Thomas nodded with a renewed smile, though his concern was still evident. "I know you're strong, and you'll do amazingly as a UHF marine. It's just hard to imagine this place without you. You've become a part of the arcade family, you know? It’s not going to be the same without you."

Thea felt touched by his words, her heart swelling with gratitude. "Thank you, Thomas. That means a lot to me… truly. And hey, I promise to stay in touch and come visit whenever I can. I won't just disappear forever, okay? Not to mention, due to my amazing assessment, y’all are gonna get a big payout from the UHF!"

Thomas shook his head with a smile, "I'll hold you to that. Just promise me you'll always be safe out there, alright?"

Thea nodded, her expression resolute. "I promise. Thank you for everything, Thomas. I couldn't have made it this far without you… Seriously!

“You’ve given me so many opportunities to learn and you’ve always been there when I needed you. I don’t think I would be anywhere near the same person if I hadn’t gotten lucky and met you. Thank you, Thomas."

Thomas, who had always been Thea’s most emotional friend, started tearing up at her words, but quickly managed a reply nevertheless, “Don’t sell yourself short, Thea. I have no doubt that, no matter what, you would have found your way. Ever since you walked into this arcade, all those years ago, I knew from the get-go, that you were someone special.

“I had always heard about those kinds of encounters in movies and stories, but never thought I would actually manage to become part of one. I'll always be just Thomas from the local undercity arcade. It’s what I was born to be.

“You, on the other hand… I never doubted you would go far in life. I’m just glad I was able to become a small part of your journey. I owe you just as much as you think you owe me, don’t you ever forget that, Thea.”

Thea didn’t reply, but instead rushed into a big hug, surprising the arcade proprietor with its strength. After a brief moment of surprise, he wrapped his arms around her as well and held her in a gentle embrace.

Thomas was likely one of the few undercity citizens that Thea could bury her face in during a hug, as he towered over her by around 10cm, so it came to no surprise to him, when he heard a muffled voice emanating from his chest, “Thanks, Thomas.”

They stayed like that, hugging each other, for a few minutes, before Thea broke away from him with a distinct pink-tint to her face and eyes. She quickly rubbed her sleeves over her face, before meeting Thomas’ eyes with a bright smile.

He was definitely going to miss the rebellious and tech savvy teenager. Of that, he had no doubt.

The rest of the day went by in a flash for Thea.

She helped out at the arcade, repairing a few machines, and spent most of her time explaining the intricacies of the Cube and the Deep-Dive Simulation to anyone who would listen.

Her very abridged retellings of her own experiences had quickly become her main task, as new undercity citizens kept streaming into the arcade to try their hands at the promised cash prize for successfully beating the challenge.

She made it a point to not include any particular details about the mission she had faced however, as she was uncertain whether the challenges were the same for everyone. She simply gave tips on how to behave, what to look out for and similar top-level hints, but her expertise seemed very appreciated by the many candidates.

The rest of her week flew by even faster, as Thea continued her daily life of helping out at the arcade and answering questions about the UHF challenge, whenever possible.

Finally however, it was time to say goodbye to her home - the Undercity of Lumiosia.

She woke up extra early that day, unable to contain her excitement for the whole new galaxy of possibilities that was about to unfold before her. To her surprise, she found Old Man James already awake and active, even though she rarely saw him stay in bed past sunrise anyway, it was way earlier than usual.

They spent their morning together, eating breakfast at their usual spot inside the kitchen/living room, while casually chatting about Thea’s future. The old veteran gave her a lot of tips and hints on the dos and don'ts of the UHF military, which she gratefully and eagerly absorbed.

As time continued to race by, Thea felt her anxiety rise higher and higher. Despite her best efforts to ignore the reality of the situation, she was about to embark on a life-changing journey, all by herself.

Not only was she leaving the protection of Old Man James’ watchful eyes, but she left behind everything she knew as well.

The undercity, which had been her harsh teacher and playground since a young age.

Lumiosia, which had been this illustrious goal of hers to reach, to get to the main city of the planet and afford a ticket off this world, in order to ultimately sign up for the UHF.

And of course the few friends she had made while living here, that she basically considered her family at this point. Thomas and Old Man James.

They had been her guardian angels ever since they came into her life, or rather, she came into theirs. They had accepted her for exactly who she was and furthered her dreams and ambitions without question.

Where Old Man James furthered her wishes to become a UHF marine from a young age, Thomas provided her with everything she needed to hone her dexterity and intellect by giving her access to the entirety of the arcade's simulators and their corresponding manuals at no charge.

She was infinitely grateful to both of them and secretly feared that she would never be able to live up to their high expectations for her.

Yet, all of that was about to change. The second she stepped into the shuttle that the UHF was going to send to pick her up, she would be cut off from everything she had known up until that point, only to be mercilessly thrust into the real world of military training and the larger galaxy as a whole.

These thoughts filled her with an equal mixture of dread and excitement, causing her anxiety to rise as the time for their final goodbyes drew nearer.

As if to appease her frayed nerves, Old Man James started telling her about his early years in the UHF, a period of time he had usually kept to himself in their time together so far. Thea was thankful for the distraction and eagerly listened to the stories of her mentor until the time of her departure finally arrived…