Dungeon And Slave: The Lustful and Violent Slave Harem of the Guard and Students Chosen as Testers for the Succubus Dungeon - Chapter 12: Transfer Array

Chapter 12: Transfer Array

Activating Physical Enhancement, I stepped slowly into the small plaza.

The Big Horn Rabbit in front of the gate locked its gaze on me, tensing for a charge.

With a shorter wind-up and greater speed than a Horn Rabbit, it lunged, aiming its thick horn at my chest.

I sidestepped, dodging the charge, and swung my machete full force at the Big Horn Rabbit’s neck as it passed.

With my base physical ability boosted and Physical Enhancement active, my strike sank into the giant rabbit’s neck, halting its momentum and severing it.

“Big or not, the pattern’s the same.”

If it can’t change direction mid-jump, dodging is easy.

If it had some Horn Rabbit minions, it might’ve been a bit trickier.

I thought that, watching the Big Horn Rabbit dissolve into black particles.

When it vanished, a magic stone remained.

Picking it up, I noticed it was the same size but darker black than a Horn Rabbit’s stone.

A boss, so maybe an E-Rank magic stone?

I’ll check later, I thought, heading to the plaza’s entrance to stow it in my backpack.

Grabbing the backpack, I approached the target gate.

“Oh, a treasure chest. And it’s a different color.”

I noticed a bronze chest in front of the gate, hurrying over.

“No keyhole.”

Like the wooden chests, it had no lock. I sat on its side and pried the lid open with my machete.

“No traps either.”

I’ve never found traps, but better safe than sorry. A trap could hit when I’m relaxed after beating a boss.

“Now, bronze means better loot than wood, right?”

I peered inside, hopeful.

An iron shield caught my eye.

It was about 50 cm wide and 60 cm long, classified as a small shield. Like the round shield, it had a handle on the back and a leather strap to secure it above the elbow.

“Hmm, kinda heavy but seems sturdy… Oh? Leather armor! And a potion too.”

Lifting the shield, I found dark brown leather armor underneath. Removing the armor revealed a small vial of green liquid.

“Is this… a Grade 4 potion?”

I pulled a Grade 5 potion, wrapped in a towel scrap to prevent breaking, from my backpack’s large pocket and compared them.

The bronze chest’s potion had a fancier container and darker color. No doubt—it’s the Grade 4 potion from the shop. This’ll heal deep wounds or fractures instantly.

A Grade 4 potion is 10,000 DP, and the iron shield was about the same. The leather armor looks slightly better than the shop’s 5,000 DP version. Roughly 25,000 DP worth of gear and items from one chest—huge haul. Boss chests are something else.

I’ll swap the round shield for the iron shield. The leather armor doesn’t look too complex—I should be able to equip it.

I wrapped the Grade 4 potion in a spare towel scrap, stowed it in my backpack’s pocket, and strapped the round shield to the backpack’s exterior.

I tested the iron shield, swinging my left arm.

“Hmm, a bit heavy, but I can handle it now.”

Unlike the wooden round shield with metal-reinforced edges, the larger, all-iron small shield was predictably heavier. But with my boosted base physical ability, it’s manageable.

Next, I tried on the leather armor.

First time equipping it, it took 15 minutes, but I got it on.

“Gotta practice putting this on when I get back.”

A mirror would make it easier. I’ll buy one later.

Alright, prep’s done.

With the leather armor on and backpack slung over, I cautiously pushed the black gate’s door with my iron shield-equipped left hand.

I was cautious because the Big Horn Rabbit might be a mid-boss, with a bigger boss inside. In dungeon manga, bosses are usually in boss rooms.

Slowly opening the gate, I saw the same cave scenery as before.

The cave was as wide as the first floor’s main route, enough for five adults to walk abreast, with stalactite-like rocks overhead emitting faint light.

I passed through the gate, alert.

On the right, about 5 meters from the gate, a magic circle glowed blue on the floor.

I noticed it because of the light, despite the distance.

A transfer trap? No, a trap wouldn’t be so blatant, I reconsidered.

I approached the magic circle cautiously.

The gate I’d passed through closed with a sound. I hurried back to reopen it, but it wouldn’t budge from the inside.

That means…

That magic circle might be a transfer array, I thought, recalling a recent manga.

Standing on it would probably take me to the first floor.

Instead of stepping on it right away, I placed the club hanging from my backpack onto the circle.

No reaction.

“Guess I have to step on it.”

I can’t go back otherwise. Trusting the manga, I stood on the circle.

The floor glowed, my vision shifted instantly, and a new cave appeared.

I raised my shield, scanning for threats.

It was a smaller plaza, about 10 meters square, narrower than the boss room.

A magic circle was in the center, where I stood.

Looking around warily, I saw rock walls on all sides, with no small tunnels for Horn Rabbits.

“Hm?”

What is this place? No exit? Then I noticed a section of the front wall, 2 meters wide and 3 meters tall, lacked the uneven texture of the surrounding rock.

It was the same color, hard to spot unless you looked closely.

Suspicious, I approached it.

“!?”

The smooth section slid sideways with a rumble.

“A rock auto-door…”

If it ran on electricity, that’d be costly, I thought, passing through.

It was a cave passage wide enough for four people to walk side by side.

I recognized it—no small tunnels.

Could this be that empty passage near the dungeon entrance?

I recalled the first side tunnel I explored on day 2, a dead-end with no Horn Rabbits.

Looking back, the rock auto-door was sliding shut.

When it closed fully, it looked like an uneven rock wall—a dead end.

Definitely familiar.

To be sure, I walked down the tunnel with no small tunnels. A few minutes later, I reached the first floor’s main route.

I knew it was the first floor because I saw students fighting Horn Rabbits in the distance.

“No mistake. This is that side tunnel on the first floor.”

What I thought was a useless dead-end was a tunnel leading to a transfer room, accessible only to those who beat the first floor’s boss.

When I first came here, the auto-door didn’t react, so that’s why.

Got it. That magic circle by the gate was for floor transfer.

The gate not opening back is to prevent easy boss farming? I don’t know how long until the boss respawns, but it takes three hours to reach that plaza. That’d discourage farming.

Bronze chests aren’t guaranteed—maybe first-time only. Second runs might yield wooden chests, and too much farming could tip off students to the boss’s location.

I worked hard clearing every tunnel to find the gate to the next floor. Farming can wait—I’ll prioritize second-floor treasure chests and first-mover benefits. I’ll tell students about it after reaching the third floor or beyond. Unless they ask, I won’t bother.

Having a transfer array here is convenient.

Better than popping out at the dungeon entrance. Appearing in a busy spot would have teachers hounding me about the boss’s location.

“For now, I’ll scout the second floor.”

It was only 3 PM, and I had stamina to spare, so I decided to scout the second floor, my main exploration area starting tomorrow.

I backtracked through the tunnel, stood before the dead-end wall, and the rock auto-door slid open, revealing the magic circle in the small plaza. I stepped on it, and my vision shifted instantly.

“This is convenient.”

Appearing by the second floor’s gate again, I muttered.

Will I lose access to the second floor once I reach the third? I wondered, heading down what seemed to be the second floor’s main route.

“Take that!”

With a clang, a Horn Rabbit was sent flying by my iron shield.

“Hah!”

Ignoring the stunned rabbit, I faced a new Horn Rabbit lunging from my right-rear blind spot, kicking its belly without dodging.

I rushed the first rabbit, struggling to rise, and stomped its neck, crushing it.

Then, I swung my machete at the falling kicked rabbit, slicing its belly wide open.

Just to be sure, I glanced at the first rabbit I killed and the one I shield-bashed and stomped. Both had dissolved into black particles.

Scouting the second floor’s main route for an hour, my pace was slower than on the first floor.

The reason: Horn Rabbit spawns increased from two to three.

They appear with two attacking simultaneously, followed by a third with a delay, making it impossible to handle one at a time like on the first floor, slowing me down.

I dodge two simultaneous attacks, slash one with my machete, bash the other with my shield, then deal with the third and the bashed one in turn.

“Near the magic circle, it was two rabbits, but an hour in, it’s three. Deeper in, it’ll be four.”

I grumbled, picking up magic stones.

I’ve killed hundreds of Horn Rabbits—they’re not a big threat, but more of them take longer to clear, slowing my progress.

“Should I just run through?”

That might work on the main route. But in side tunnels, if I hit a dead end, I’d face a monster house on the way back. Plus, I’d miss treasure chests.

“First-mover advantage, right? I’ll keep exploring methodically until others catch up.”

Chests are juicy. [Item Buyback] doesn’t take weapons or armor, but good gear shows up. All my current armor—leather pants, shin guard, cap—is from chests, worth over 30,000 DP if bought. Knives would push it higher.

One Grade 5 potion from a chest equals 33 Horn Rabbit stones in DP—two Wall Butt rounds. Can’t miss that.

Calculating in my head, I explored for another 30 minutes, then decided that was enough scouting and returned to the transfer array.

I transferred to the first floor, exiting the side tunnel to the main route.

I saw many students heading back.

Some had arms in slings or were limping, their uniforms torn in places.

Got hit by Horn Rabbits, huh? Even enhanced uniforms can’t take repeated charges. Those with fractures are in for a rough time—Grade 5 potions don’t heal bones, so they’ll struggle until they get a Grade 4.

Hmm, even with numbers, poor coordination leaves them open to ambushes. Solo’s better in that sense—you have to stay alert, no slacking.

It’s mentally taxing, though.

Thinking that, I walked behind the students, left the dungeon, and ended today’s exploration.

I got tons of magic stones and items today, plus a first boss kill, so there might be a special reward.

Can’t wait to cash in.