Chapter 4: Pay the Customs Duty?

The small items scattered on the ground. They were tiny in size and use.

'Rusty batteries, broken magnifying glasses, half-eaten pills, worn-out coins...'

A broken disposable lighter, and even a shattered set of dentures.

These were very small items, mostly no larger than the palm of a hand. Most of them were parts or materials, and occasionally, simple and small 'finished products' would drop.

However, even these finished products were mostly useless, not even qualifying as recyclable waste.

Indeed, these were the items that could be obtained from the dungeons of the Eron continent.

The same went for paper. Most of it was already used, and hardly any clean sheets were found.

What was most common were unidentified pills.

Is it because the zombies were all old people?

As people age, medication becomes essential. Elderly people in Korea, with its well-established healthcare system, take a lot of medication, such as blood pressure pills, joint medication, cough syrup, and stomach medicine...

However, the pills from the dungeons of the Eron continent were of poor quality and did not fully exert their effects.

Amidst these items, one slightly unusual pill caught his eye.

'This... I've seen it many times.'

It was a rhombus-shaped blue pill with English letters inscribed on it. A very famous pill from the Earth he once lived on.

"Viagra? Holy crap, it really is Viagra."

It would be good to take this. Even if the quality is poor, it might still be helpful.

Yunho carefully put the pill in his pocket. Good grief! To get Viagra in another world, how ridiculous.

But then!

"Huh?"

Suddenly?

By the way, what does the imbalance of dimensional exchange mean?

At that moment!

"...Shin-ah?"

Of course! I knew it.

From the moment the voice was heard, he had a hunch. It wasn't a human voice. The voice was that of a being far beyond any earthly existence.

Who else could it be? Obviously, a god.

"Uh..."

This is the expanded mode. The explanation is as detailed as if being guided by a tour guide.

However, the content of the explanation is extraordinary. The true nature and purpose of the dungeons.

Honestly, it's surprising. Who would have thought that he would learn the origin of the dungeons in another world, and from a god, no less?

"Is that so? But what does that mean...?"

Indeed, he knew from the records.

It's been tens of thousands of years. On Earth, a decade can change the landscape, but the Eron continent remains the same. An unchanging social system, a rigid class system, and an economy that has not yet moved beyond agriculture.

Imagine if the medieval era in Earth's history lasted for tens of thousands of years.

'Hmm?'

That's true. A lot has changed. In fact, saying it has changed is an understatement.

The changes began with the crystals. New energy sources, rapid changes in infrastructure, pollution-free clean energy, a cleaner environment, advancements in medicine due to the discovery of new materials, increased lifespan, unlimited battery capacity, and AI technology created by crystal semiconductors.

'Actually, the crystals obtained from Earth's dungeons can't even compare to those of the Eron continent. They are of the lowest grade?'

If the crystals of the Eron continent are genuine, then the crystals from Earth's dungeons are fake trash, not even reaching one-tenth of the quality.

However, Earth was sufficient with just those.

By combining them with existing energy sources, they shattered the scientific limits that were once thought insurmountable. It was a complete transformation.

'Hmm.'

He has a vague idea. This is a societal issue.

Mages, the most representative intellectual class of the Eron continent, almost exclusively benefited from the dungeons.

Mages are closed off.

Even if sufficient research is conducted, it is rarely shared with the outside world.

Would those picky mages share their research results with others, even if they created something?

Absolutely not. In severe cases, some mages don't even take on apprentices.

Just by seeing that paper is only obtained from dungeons, one can tell. Why don't they think about making it themselves? Is it that difficult?

'...No, it might be more difficult than I think.'

Looking at Earth's history, it's the same. Paper was introduced to the West due to war. The Battle of Talas between the Tang Dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate.

It is said that there was a paper technician among the Tang Dynasty prisoners captured by the Abbasid army. Paper was made in China before the Common Era, but it took about a thousand years for it to spread to the West.

However, once paper was introduced to the West, it quickly led to the popularization of expensive books.

Of course, the invention of the printing press played a role, but the popularization of books led to the popularization of knowledge, which in turn rapidly advanced civilization.

But in the case of the Eron continent, there was no need to make cheap books for the common people, who couldn't read.

Dungeon paper was used only for correspondence by the royal family, nobility, and for making magic scrolls by mages, making it just a fun item.

Additionally, the items dropped from dungeons are incomplete. This is because dungeons themselves are mere shadows.

It's impossible to conduct perfect research with defective items. Earth overcame this flaw, but that's another story.

'But what am I supposed to do?'

Whoosh.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Yunho realized that something, a tiny seed-like thing, had entered his chest. And information flooded his mind.

"Gate... Dimensional Contribution?"

He understood what he could do. What it meant to be able to travel between Earth and the Eron continent, how to gain dimensional contribution points, and what he could do with them.

It's an incredible privilege.

But can't he just do it himself? Isn't he a god! It would be a simple matter to intervene directly.

It seems that even gods have their limitations.

"Wait a moment!"

"Hello? Sir God? What should I do? At least give me an explanation..."

"Excuse me?"

There was no response. It seems the expanded mode has reverted to the basic mode.

From now on, it's a one-way conversation.

'Live as you please?'

He can do it. No, he welcomes it.

'Anyway, the dimensional gate, right?'

The ability to travel freely between Earth and the Eron continent.

'The conditions for opening the gate...'

He needs to secure sufficient energy and ensure that no one is within a 10-meter radius. A physical gate requires space.

'Let's go to Earth right away.'

Focusing his mind, a large gate finally opened.

Zing.

A translucent gate, the ripple of mana, and a glimpse of Earth's scenery beyond.

Yunho placed his hand on the gate.

"Oh, right! Customs duty!"

The items he carried while living in Ant City.

It's fine not to pay customs duty.

However, if he doesn't pay, all items and abilities will be downgraded to one-tenth of their original state when passing through the gate. They would become just ordinary items or skills.

In simple terms, items and abilities change to match the level of the dimension. That's the original fairness.

But by paying customs duty, items and abilities from each dimension gain their full potential. They become genuine items with practical effects, not just shadows of the past.

Yunho is actually an F-rank in Eron. A rookie mercenary, the lowest-level hunter on Earth. He's weak in both places.

However, the level of power in the Eron continent is different from that of Earth. So, even as a rookie mercenary, if he pays the customs duty and goes to Earth, he will become at least a B-rank.

'Of course, I should pay. This is also an ability...'

He must take the essential mana cultivation technique and spear skills, and also add weapons, leather armor, and clothing. He can't go around naked.

"That Viagra from earlier, it was a fake!"

I knew it. Proper items wouldn't come from dungeons.

If he pays customs duty to bring that fake Viagra to Earth, it would only become real Viagra. Just throw it away.

But for the fake Viagra to have a higher customs duty than cultivation techniques and spear skills, how is the value assessed?

"I'll pay."

He's really going. To Earth.

Yunho visualized the place he wanted to go and stepped through the gate.

To Daejeon!