Chapter 12 Teleportation Circle
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I triggered Physical Reinforcement¹ and stepped cautiously into the small plaza. Immediately, the Big Horn Rabbit standing before the gate locked its gaze onto me, lowering its body into a coiled, charging stance.
With a wind-up shorter and a velocity far greater than its lesser kin, it lunged forward, seeking to impale my chest with its thick, wicked horn.
I evaded the headlong rush with a sharp side-step and brought my Machete² down with every ounce of my strength onto the Big Horn Rabbit’s neck as it hurtled past.
Bolstered by my improved base attributes and Physical Reinforcement magic, the blow bit deep into the giant rabbit’s nape, severing it completely while arresting the momentum of its charge in an instant.
”Even after getting that big, it’s still just a one-trick pony,” I said.
Since it couldn’t adjust its trajectory once airborne, dodging was a simple matter. If it had been accompanied by a few standard Horn Rabbits, I might have found myself in a tighter spot.
I looked down at the Big Horn Rabbit as it dissolved into a cloud of black particles, lost in idle thought. Once the creature vanished, a Magic Stone³ was left in its wake.
I picked it up and examined it; while the size was familiar, the obsidian hue appeared far more concentrated than those of a typical Horn Rabbit. Does being a boss upgrade it to an E-rank stone? I figured I could look into it once I returned home, so I headed back to the entrance of the plaza and tossed it into my backpack.
Then, pack in hand, I approached my true objective: the gate.
”Oh, a treasure chest. And the color is different,” I muttered.
I noticed a copper-clad chest sitting before the gate and quickened my pace toward it.
”No keyhole, I see,” I said.
Confirming it lacked a keyhole just like the wooden variety, I knelt beside it and pried the lid open with my machete.
”No traps either,” I noted.
I hadn’t encountered any traps so far, but it was better to be safe. A person might easily let their guard down in the relief of defeating a boss, after all.
”Well then, since it’s copper, it should hold something better than the wooden ones, right?” I asked myself.
I peered inside with mounting anticipation. An iron shield immediately caught my eye.
Measuring roughly 50 centimeters wide and 60 centimeters long, it was classified as a small shield. Much like a round shield, it featured a handle on the reverse side of the rim, designed to be secured above the elbow with a sturdy leather strap.
”Hmm, it’s fairly heavy, but it looks durable… Oh? Leather armor! And a Potion⁴ too!” I exclaimed.
Lifting the shield revealed a set of dark brown leather armor tucked beneath it. Digging deeper, I unearthed a small vial filled with a shimmering green liquid.
”Is this… could it be Grade 4?” I asked.
I pulled a Grade 5 potion—wrapped carefully in a towel scrap to prevent breakage—from my pack to compare the two. The one from the copper chest featured a more ornate container and a deeper, more concentrated color. There was no mistaking it; this was the Grade 4 potion I’d seen in the Shop. With this, I could instantly mend deep lacerations or even compound fractures.
A Grade 4 potion cost 10,000 DP⁵, and an iron shield likely carried a similar price tag. The leather armor appeared higher in quality than the 5,000 DP version in the Shop. By a rough estimate, I’d just hauled 25,000 DP worth of gear and items from a single chest. A massive profit—truly a boss’s bounty.
I swapped my old round shield for the iron one. The leather armor didn’t look overly complex, so I figured I could manage the equipment myself.
I tucked the Grade 4 potion into a secure pocket and strapped the round shield to the exterior of my pack. Then, I tested my mobility by swinging my left arm through various guards.
”Hmm, a bit heavy, but it shouldn’t be a problem now,” I said.
Unlike my previous wooden shield which only had metal-reinforced edges, this small shield was larger and forged entirely of iron. It was heavy, as expected. However, while it might have been an ordeal before, my improved base stats made it perfectly manageable.
Next, I moved to equip the leather armor.
Since it was my first time donning such gear, it took about fifteen minutes of fumbling, but I eventually managed to secure it correctly.
”I’ll need to practice putting this on more efficiently when I get home,” I muttered.
It would go much faster with a full-length mirror. I’d have to buy one. Alright, preparation complete.
With my backpack settled over the armor, I cautiously pushed against the heavy black door with my shielded left hand.
I remained on high alert, considering the possibility that the Big Horn Rabbit was merely a mid-boss and a much greater threat awaited behind this gate. In dungeon manga, the boss is usually waiting in a dedicated chamber, after all.
Opening the door slowly, I peered through to find the same unchanging cave scenery. The tunnel was wide enough for five adults to walk abreast, similar to the main thoroughfare of the first floor. Stalactites protruded from the ceiling like frozen spears, emitting a soft, ethereal light.
I stepped through the threshold, maintaining my vigilance.
* * *
There, inscribed on the floor about five meters to the right, was a Magic Circle⁶. I noticed it immediately because the pattern was glowing with a distinct blue light.
I briefly worried it might be a teleportation trap, but then I reconsidered; surely no trap would be this conspicuous. I approached the circle warily.
Suddenly, the gate I’d just entered slammed shut with a heavy slam. I rushed back and tried to heave it open, but it refused to budge from the inside. Which means…
”This Magic Circle might be what they call a Teleportation Circle⁷,” I said, recalling a manga I’d read recently.
Standing upon it would likely transport me back to the first floor. Still, I didn’t step on it blindly. I tested the surface by placing the club from my pack onto the circle. There was no reaction.
”I guess I have to be on it myself,” I muttered.
I couldn’t go back through the door anyway. I decided to trust in manga logic and stepped into the center of the array. The ground beneath my feet flared, and my vision shifted in a flash to an entirely different cavern.
I raised my iron shield, scanning the surroundings. It was a small chamber about ten meters square, narrower than the boss room. I was standing on an identical Magic Circle in the center. I surveyed the area; it was enclosed by sheer rock walls with no signs of the small holes Horn Rabbits usually used for ambushes.
”Hm?” I grunted.
I wondered if there was even an exit, then noticed a section in the center of the far wall that lacked the jagged crags of the surrounding rock. It was the same color as the rest of the cavern, making it difficult to distinguish, but a section roughly two meters wide and three meters high was perfectly smooth.
Sensing a hidden mechanism, I approached the wall.
”!?”
With a heavy, grinding rumble, the smooth stone section slid to the side.
”So it was a stone automatic door…” I said, wondering briefly about the energy costs if such a thing ran on electricity. I stepped through and found myself in a corridor wide enough for four people. I recognized this path instantly. It was the one with absolutely no small holes.
”Is this that empty passage near the dungeon entrance?” I wondered aloud.
I recalled the dead-end side-path I’d explored on the second day—the one where not a single Horn Rabbit had appeared. Behind me, the stone door slid back into place. Once fully closed, it was indistinguishable from the rest of the craggy wall. It was definitely the place I remembered.
To confirm my theory, I walked to the end of the sterile passage. After a few minutes, I emerged into the main corridor of the first floor. I knew my location immediately because I could see students fighting Horn Rabbits in the far distance.
”No doubt about it. This is that side-path on the first floor,” I said.
So the side-path I’d dismissed as a dead end was actually a secure exit for those who defeated the first-floor boss. The door hadn’t reacted during my first visit, so that must be the prerequisite.
I see. So the circle next to the black gate was indeed for floor-to-floor teleportation. The reason I couldn’t go back through the gate was probably to prevent easy boss farming. I didn’t know the respawn timer, but it would take three hours to walk back to that plaza from here. No one would want to farm it under those conditions.
Besides, there was no guarantee a copper chest would appear every time. It might be a first-time bonus, dropping to wooden chests thereafter. Furthermore, repeated farming might reveal the boss’s location to the other students.
I’d worked hard to clear every single side-path to find that gate. Enjoying the ‘first-mover advantage’ of treasure chests on the second floor was a higher priority. I’d tell the students once I reached the third floor or beyond. Well, I wouldn’t tell them at all unless they specifically asked.
Regardless, having a Teleportation Circle here was a lifesaver. It was better than appearing right next to the dungeon entrance. If I showed up in a place with that much foot traffic, the teachers would probably swarm me demanding to know where the boss was.
”For now, I’ll scout the second floor,” I said.
Since it was only 3:00 PM and I had plenty of stamina, I decided to preview the second floor, which would be my main hunting ground from tomorrow. I walked back into the side-path and stood before the ‘dead-end’ wall. The stone slid open, revealing the Magic Circle. I stepped on, the light flared, and my vision shifted once more.
”This is incredibly convenient,” I muttered, appearing again beside the gate on the second floor.
I wondered if I’d lose access to the second floor once I reached the third, but for now, I headed down what appeared to be the main path.
* * *
”Ora!” I shouted.
With a heavy, metallic crack, a Horn Rabbit was sent spiraling by my iron shield.
”Shi!” I exhaled.
Leaving the dazed rabbit aside, I whirled to face a newcomer leaping at me from my back-right blind spot. Instead of dodging, I kicked it squarely in the abdomen mid-air. Then, I rushed over to the rabbit I’d bashed with my shield and crushed its neck under my boot as it tried to recover. Finally, I brought my machete down on the falling rabbit I’d kicked, splitting its stomach open. Finished.
I checked the first two rabbits; they were already dissolving into black particles.
An hour had passed since I started scouting the second-floor main path, but my progress was noticeably slower than on the first floor. The reason was clear: the number of Horn Rabbits appearing had increased from pairs to groups of three.
Moreover, they appeared as a pair followed by a third after a slight delay. I couldn’t process them one by one like I did on the first floor, which hampered my speed.
My routine had evolved: dodge the simultaneous attack of the first two, slash one with the machete, and bash the other with the shield. Then, I’d intercept the third newcomer before finishing off the second.
”It was only two near the Magic Circle, but an hour in and it’s three. At this rate, there’ll be four further in,” I grumbled while collecting a Magic Stone.
I’d killed hundreds of these rabbits by now. They weren’t a major threat, but the sheer numbers made them tedious. That was why my pace had slowed.
”Should I just sprint through?” I wondered.
That might work for the main path. But if I did that in a side-path and hit a dead end, I’d have to fight my way back through a ‘monster house’ of accumulated foes. More importantly, I’d miss treasure chests.
”It’s my first-mover advantage, after all. I’ll just have to explore steadily until the others catch up,” I decided.
Treasure chests were far too lucrative. The
If a single Grade 5 potion dropped—which counted as an item—it was worth the equivalent of thirty-three Horn Rabbit stones. That’s worth two rounds of ‘Wall-Tail’ sessions. I couldn’t ignore that potential.
After running the math in my head, I explored for another thirty minutes before deciding that was a sufficient preview. I headed back to the Teleportation Circle. I warped back to the first floor and emerged from the side-path into the main corridor.
I saw many students on their way back. Several of them had their arms in slings made of triangular bandages or were dragging their feet. Their uniforms were shredded in places.
”They got hit by the Horn Rabbits,” I noted. Even with reinforced uniforms, they couldn’t endure too many charges. Those with broken bones were in for a rough time. Grade 5 potions wouldn’t fix fractures, so they’d struggle until they acquired Grade 4s.
I suppose even with numbers, if communication breaks down, you get caught off guard. In that sense, being solo is an advantage because you’re forced to stay alert. It’s mentally draining, though.
With those thoughts, I walked behind the returning students and left the dungeon, concluding my day’s exploration.
I’d gained a massive amount of Magic Stones and items today, and since it was my first boss kill, there might be a bonus.
I was looking forward to the settlement.
—
Summary:
The protagonist defeats the Big Horn Rabbit boss and loots a copper chest containing high-tier iron equipment and a Grade 4 potion. He discovers a teleportation mechanic that connects the boss room to a previously ‘dead-end’ side-path near the dungeon entrance, establishing a shortcut for victors. After a brief and challenging scouting mission on the second floor, where he encounters larger groups of enemies, he returns to the surface. He observes the battered state of the student groups, reaffirming his preference for solo, high-reward exploration.
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Character Insight:
The protagonist’s internal monologue reveals a highly analytical and ‘gamer-centric’ mindset, prioritizing ‘first-mover advantage’ and DP efficiency over social responsibility. His decision to keep the boss’s location secret highlights his opportunistic nature. Despite the mental strain of solo play, he values the forced alertness it provides, viewing the injuries of the students as a failure of communication and situational awareness that he cannot afford to emulate.
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Behind the Scene:
The presence of ‘stone automatic doors’ and ‘teleportation circles’ are staple tropes in ‘Dungeon Crawler’ light novels, bridging the gap between fantasy settings and modern convenience. The ‘Wall-Tail’ (Kabe-jiri) session mentioned is a specific adult-oriented mechanic of this dungeon’s setting, serving as a primary drive for the protagonist’s accumulation of DP.
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T/L:
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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