Gatecrash: Awakening

The well-oiled hinges of the door swung open silently. But many Hunters glanced up at the energy of my entrance. Most of their gazes didn't linger at first, but then, almost like a synchronized performance, there was a wave of double-takes as they processed what I was wearing. A lull fell over the crowd as more and more Hunters realized something was happening at the front of the room. Soon, a hundred sets of eyes were staring at me. Their gazes were even more intense than before. Since it was clear now this was something I'd chosen to do, did they sense an implicit permission to look?

But I'd already prepared myself for this. In the bathroom, filled with lustful anticipation, and then in the hallway, filled with fear. Now, in the moment, I was filled with determination. The nervous energy roiling in me bubbled up, and I called out to the crowd: "What, you've never seen a woman in a towel before?"

Most of them went back to their previous conversations at that. Others looked at the floor, or at Garrick, who had also recovered from his initial shock and had turned to look away from me. But a few of the Hunters kept their eyes fixed on me, leering with hungry gazes.

I descended the steps of the stage. The crowd made way for me, and I stood in a semi-circle of staring Hunters. The crowd jostled as those wanting a closer look pushed their way to the front. Some further back were standing on tip-toes to see over the others. The feeling was exhilarating and terrifying. I adjusted the towel again, worried my descent had caused it to ride up.

The redness in their faces reflected mine. But one man stepped out from the crowd. He was tall and blonde with dark green eyes. His tight t-shirt showed off his toned body, and he was wearing jeans and running shoes. A sword hung from his belt--he must have been in the top ten. He advanced until he was standing in front of me, and asked in a deep voice, "What are you, some kind of pervert? You turned up naked too. Get caught streaking or something?"

I'd been catcalled before, and lewd comments had been sadly common from engineers I'd gotten my degree with and worked alongside. But while being gawked at was one thing, being spoken to like this made me feel gross. I clutched my towel for support, the thick fabric that shielded me from his ferocity giving me strength. I replied, "I was in the shower. And I'm not spending 10 fucking Coins for an ordinary set of clothes."

He laughed at me. He wasn't looking me in the eyes, instead gazing into the valley of my cleavage propped up by the towel. "You know you can't bring that into the Instances with you, right? Are you planning to streak the whole time?"

I resisted the urge to shrink away from him. I stood tall and proud, looking up into his eyes even as he refused to return the favor. "That's none of your business." A new kind of energy filled me. Rather than the shame and excitement that had been gnawing at me in my anticipation of baring everything, now I was determined. I would dominate the Tutorial. This creep's head was going to spin when he got his ass handed to him by a naked woman.

He took a step closer, looming over me. "Not sure how you plan to fight monsters with these things swinging around." He suddenly reached out and poked the top of the towel where it was most taut, right between my breasts.

I slapped him as hard as I could, stepping forward and reaching up to strike his jaw. Only I'd misjudged the distance a bit, the momentum and closeness of my pivoting hips turning the slap into more of a palm strike. As the meat of my hand impacted his jaw, I reflexively appraised him.

He reeled backwards, almost falling over. His head and body had turned so that he was facing behind him, but his muscles tensed as he prepared to whirl back to me. He was stopped in his tracks as a voice rang out over the crowd: "Stop."

A sudden feeling of tension seized every muscle in my body. My posture was stuck in the backswing of the slap, my arm across my stomach at the end of the motion and my hips turned to the side. And, I realized with horror, the hand holding my towel was slightly below my nipples, the fabric creating a shelf for my huge breasts to rest on. I desperately fought against the sensation so I could cover up, but I was powerless to resist the force that had come over me.

Most of the leering Hunters had noticed, their eyes fixed on my bare nipples that were practically being presented to them. One of them took on a perverse grin and let out a wolf whistle, drawing the attention of everyone who hadn't realized my chest was on full display. The only Hunter who didn't get the opportunity was Forrest, who was frozen in the recoil of my blow. From the rippling in his taut muscles, it was easy to see he was fighting as hard to look as I was to hide.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Garrick standing at the edge of the stage, pointing a staff at the two of us with a grimace. He began to speak, his voice amplified again. "Now is probably a good time to announce that there will be no fighting in the rest area and no killing other Hunters in the Instances. I cannot enter the Instances with you since I have already done the Tutorial, but I am able to monitor them so I will know if you break the second rule."

His hold over me was the only thing keeping my eyes from widening in shock and anger. Was he really that keen to make an example out of us? Most of the crowd wasn't even looking at him while he spoke, more interested in ogling me than paying any attention. The roiling nervousness had given way to a burning shame as I was made into a spectacle.

Garrick continued, "As for the first rule, there are cameras throughout the rest area except in your rooms. Only you can open the door to your room, so don't invite anyone in you don't trust. I'll excuse any fights that have happened before this announcement," he looked at me and Forrest pointedly, "But from now on, all parties involved in a fight in the rest area will receive a fine."

Suddenly, I could move again. Thanks to the positioning of my hand on my towel, I quickly pulled it back up over my breasts. The one across my stomach smoothly transitioned to holding down the front of the towel, avoiding a repeat of my overcorrection in the hallway. Barely decent again, though my eyes were brimming with tears I blinked back defiantly. I maintained my upright posture.

Forrest stumbled a bit as he was released because of his awkward stance, but he whirled around as quickly as he could. His startled expression shifted to a dark glare as he saw that he'd missed the show. Then there was a clattering on the linoleum. He opened his lips with his teeth closed, revealing a sizeable gap in his bottom row of teeth. Blood began to flow down his face as he moved his hand up to check. His glare deepened when he realized what had happened. "You fucking bitch," he seethed. Then he spat blood in my face.

If I had felt gross at his words, this took it to another level. I had to fight the urge to use my towel to wipe my face off, since I didn't want to give him the chance to see what he'd missed. I spat some of it that had gotten in my mouth onto the floor, then wiped myself with one of my hands. I transferred the blood from my hand to the towel.

Once the blood was out of my eyes, I fixed them back on his glare. My shoulders shrank a bit after everything that had just happened. But I managed to keep my voice steady as I replied, "Don't worry; with a Potency stat like yours, you'll be able to find a Guild that'll pay for dentures."

The man's reply was forestalled by Garrick's stern, "That's enough." The man backed down, pushing through the crowd to get away from me while holding the bottom of his t-shirt up to his mouth to stem the bleeding.

I took the opportunity to look over the window that had appeared when I'd slapped him.

Name: Forrest Eastman

Class: Trainee

Level: 1

XP: 0/100

HP: 1099/1194

AP: 976/993

Might: 131

Dexterity: 76

Fortitude: 109

Resistance: 96

Potency: 103

He had excellent stats, though not as outstanding as mine. He was well rounded, and a Potency stat of 103 was certainly fitting for the top ten in a Tutorial. His Might was also quite good. He would make a great tank or melee attacker if his Growth was on par with his base stats.

In an infuriating move, Garrick repeated his previous explanation. It seemed he'd understood that plenty of Hunters had been focused on me when he'd delivered it the first time. Still, it was good that I'd taken my free shot at that bastard when I'd had the chance. I would probably need to watch my back in the Instances, though; apparently anything was fair game as long as no one died. And Forrest had a sword.

Garrick's speech continued, "As for the Instances themselves, AHU unfortunately has little concrete we can tell you about them. The System generates new Instances for every group, and the activities in them can range from surviving a blizzard to slaying monsters. Nevertheless, the System will make your objective very clear, and all Instances are designed in a way that every Hunter can succeed. Be warned that if you fail to complete an Instance, you will be locked out of the rest of the Instances. Rest assured, with every batch, AHU's goal is for every Hunter to clear every Instance. You can come to me if you have concerns about your ability to succeed."

As he finished speaking, a vertical blue disk appeared in the air next to him. He stepped aside, and the disk expanded, spinning rapidly. Once it reached about ten feet in diameter, its bottom intersecting with the stage, it stopped expanding. "This is the Gate to the first Instance," Garrick said, gesturing to it. "It will remain open until the Instance is completed, so there's no need to rush inside. Good luck, and I'll see you all back in the rest area."

I quickly ascended the steps beside me and made my way to the blue circle. I approached Garrick, suppressing my fury at him. I fixed him with a steely look and said, "Since I can't bring this with me, can you hold onto it until I get back?"

Garrick's eyes had widened again at my approach. But my resolve steadied him, and he met my request with grim determination. He held out his hand and replied, "Your tenacity will serve you well, Callisto."

I grabbed the edge of the towel, clamping my thighs together while my other hand went over my breasts. I held it out to him and placed my freed hand between my legs once he'd taken it. My body was fully exposed once again, with only my arms to shield myself from onlookers. I gave him a terse thanks, then turned and stepped into the Gate.

It was cold. I shivered, and at my shaky breath, white clouds billowed from my mouth. My smooth skin was once again becoming rough with goosebumps, tempting me to take the arm between my legs and begin rubbing myself to keep warm.

Instead, I distracted myself by surveying my surroundings. I stood in the middle of a forest clearing. A crowd of Hunters was milling around the Gate, which looked the same from this side as it had from the other. I stepped out toward the edge of the clearing, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

Nobody had really noticed me, likewise preoccupied by the change of scenery. Most of the trees were what appeared to be oak and maple, and their leaves had taken on hues ranging from golden to crimson. It was the middle of summer outside the Tutorial, but season and climate were variable in Gates.

The sky was bright and clear, without a cloud in sight as the sun shone directly overhead. Suns, I realized, squinting up at the two bright circles above me. It was surreal, emphasizing the otherworldliness of my situation even more than the glowing blue Gate or my sudden relocation from my shower had.

A System window appeared in front of me:

Instance: 1

Time: 1 Hour

Theme: Race

Summary: Traverse the obstacle course and reach the finish as fast as you can.

Rewards: Coins will be distributed based on time, with faster participants earning more Coins. The first ten to finish will receive consumable items.

Special: Hunter VS Hunter is prohibited in this Instance.

The course will open in 172 seconds.

The final line of the message was counting down. I quickly looked around, trying to identify the start of the race. Everyone was congregating at the end of the clearing opposite the Gate, so I made my way over there.

The grass of the clearing ended, revealing an open dirt area flanked on either side by trees. After about a hundred feet, it abruptly stopped at a rough wooden wall almost three times as tall as me which bowed inward. I could make out the tops of other obstacles beyond it.

The first part of the course was wide enough that everyone could comfortably line up along it. Experimental feet and hands revealed an invisible barrier blocking access while the timer counted down. I took a place near the right side, looking across the assembled Hunters.

Several were no more appropriately dressed than me. Multiple women had heels, some men dress shoes. Many participants had on business attire. One man glanced at me, then stripped out of a suit down to his underclothes.

A few followed his example. The women drew attention as they slipped out of pencil skirts and blazers, cringing under the stares at their impromptu stripteases. One had on a tight-fitting dress, which she hesitantly removed. Despite her ample breasts, she'd gone braless. Once she'd folded everything and placed it in a neat pile on the grass, she was left standing in a similar pose to me. Though she at least had a bright yellow thong covering her.

I began to feel a bit better about being the only one naked. The women who'd only just disrobed--especially the one in nothing but a thong--attracted more interest than me, who'd been naked on arrival. But there was one Hunter who continued fixating on me.

"Looks like you're ahead of the curve," an increasingly-familiar voice said over my shoulder. Forrest was beside me, comfortable in his sneakers, jeans, and bloody t-shirt. He'd stopped the bleeding from his mouth, though he still met my gaze with a sneer. He continued, "You're lucky we're not allowed to fight in this Instance."

"And here I'd hoped I'd knocked some sense into you," I shot back, undeterred by his ogling as he kept his eyes fixed on my breasts. "If you want to keep the rest of your teeth, you'd better stay where I can't see you."

He snorted, unimpressed with my bravado. He looked up at my face, still smeared with his blood. "Red suits you. I bet you look real pretty with a split lip and a black eye."

I shivered again. There was something unnervingly earnest about the way he'd said that. A clever comeback escaped me, so I turned my attention to the course in front of us as the timer continued to tick down. Thankfully, I did not have long to wait.

The timer soon hit zero, and everyone was off. Most of the Hunters were shockingly fast, a testament to the impact awakening had even at Level 1. Within seconds, most had reached the curved wall, our first obstacle.

I ran right there with them, my arm still held tightly over my breasts to keep them from bouncing wildly. The other was pumping to keep up as good form as possible given the situation, any idea of modesty banished by pure focus.

When I reached the wall, I didn't break stride and tried to run up the bottom of the curve. I leaned back as my feet hit it, trying to convert my forward momentum upward. After a few steps, my right foot hit just under the middle of the wall where it would become vertical. I put all of my power into my foot, launching myself the rest of the way up.

I caught the top of the wall with the tips of my fingers, but I could feel myself slipping. I scrabbled against the wall with my legs, giving myself just the extra push I needed to get a solid grip. I winced as my breasts jumped around, pining after my usual supportive sports bra which kept them in check. Once they'd settled, I took in a deep breath and prepared to pull myself up.

Beside me, Forrest had tried and failed to run up the wall, instead slamming into it. He took a step back and reassessed. Then, he did a standing jump straight up, grabbing the top of the wall alongside me. He wasted no time in beginning to hoist himself over the lip.

Before becoming a Hunter, I would not have been strong enough to lift myself over a ledge and pull myself up. But now I had a Might stat of 105, and I could feel power coursing through my muscles. With a great heave, I went up and over the wall, wincing again as the motion dragged my breasts against the edge. I gasped as my nipples scraped against the rough wood. But I couldn't stop to rest. I wrapped an arm around them again, looking down to see Forrest hitting the dirt path below me and running onto the next obstacle.

I dropped down with one hand on the back of the wall which was thankfully flat. I held myself up for a moment, my single arm more than capable of supporting my weight. Then I dropped the remaining ten or so feet, crouching the absorb the impact. I felt fine, a testament to my newfound power. I sprinted forward, running alongside a dozen other Hunters who'd already cleared the wall.

The next obstacle was a slope of polished stone. It was about a 45° angle, and about twenty feet tall from base to top. This was suspiciously simple compared to the wall, so I watched Forrest's attempt while I ran.

He took the obvious route of running up the slope. The Hunters tailing him collectively winced as his foot slipped out from under him as soon as it met the stone. His momentum carried him forward, and he landed on his back right onto the hard surface. He groaned with pain as he slid back down, leaving streaks in the translucent film lubricating the slope.

Hurtling toward the slope, I had mere moments to decide how I would tackle it. Running up was obviously a no-go, and crawling up would be slow and difficult with the lack of friction. But that very lack of friction was something I was in perfect position to take advantage of.

I realized what I had to do, and my blush returned. If this worked, everyone would get a good look at my unobstructed slit as I cleared the obstacle and took first place. And if it didn't, they would get a good look at my unobstructed slit as I made a fool of myself greasing my breasts and thighs. Either way, I would put myself on full display for a big audience.

But my exhibition had become easier with every step I took into it. A lewd thrill turned my stomach, and I leapt at the wall, perfectly angling my jump with its slope. I stretched my arms out in front of me, biting back a moan at the sensation of the slippery stone against my nipples as they slid along it.

I tried to ignore the fact that everyone at the base and running up to it could look straight between my legs while I glided up. Thanks to my diligence keeping myself waxed, my skin was as frictionless as an olympic swimmer's. I practically flew over the obstacle, stopping just as my hands closed around the apex of the slope. I pulled myself up and brought one of my legs over--which gave the audience an even better view of my oiled-up pussy.

I sat at the top for a moment, looking down at what awaited me before I slid down the other side. It was the same oily stone, ending with more dirt path. But before I continued, I instinctively took a look over my shoulder.

Everyone who'd reached the obstacle was staring at me. Several of the people running from the wall had stopped in their tracks to watch. There was even one man who'd pulled his head over the top of the wall and was hanging there, eyes locked on my ass as it rested at the top of the slope.

I put my arm back over my chest and gave a shaky sigh. I felt light-headed, but not because I was anywhere close to being out of breath. Being the center of attention was intoxicating. Part of me wanted to strike a pose for the crowd, to give them those natural bedroom eyes.