Hyperspace Operation VVIP Porter - Chapter 3

“What are you talking about, hyung.”

The two stared at Seungho.

“You guys are frustrating. Do you guys not have common sense? What’s your DEPC level, Jihoo-ah?”

“How many was it…”

“Anyway, that’s not the point. Think about it. Do you know why there’s a DEPC in the first place?

“Ah…”

Only then did the gears in Jihoo’s mind begin to turn.

However, Yoojin, who was a civilian not very interested in the hunter world, did not understand.

“Why? What’s it, oppa? What’s DEPC?”

Seungho tried to calm his excitement and began to explain rapid fire.

“All dungeons have volume limits for acceptable external materials. It’s called DEMCL or Dungeon Entry Maximum Capacity Limit. Any external material beyond this capacity cannot enter the dungeon. The gate would get clogged. Therefore, the attack team that targets dungeons can’t just blindly attack one. People have to maximize the number of equipment and supply that they can carry. When teams plan to target dungeons, this marginal volume becomes very important.

Seungho took a sip of water before continuing.

“That’s why DEPC or Dungeon Entry Personal Capacity was created to understand and apply this capacity limitation well. It’s a specification of a hunter’s body size. So, when registering as a hunter, every person gets calculated and qualified in exact volume with a 3D scanner in the association. It’s engraved in a hunter’s card. It’s mandatory to get inspected and renewed every year.”

Jihoo interjected, adding an explanation.

“So the World Hunter Union has set the DEPC standard for one hunter to 65.91 liters in volume. That’s equivalent to 1 DEPC. An average adult weighs about 70 kg.”

Yoojin blinked curiously at the surge of new information.

“So a small person would get a DEPC less than 1, and a big person will get a number larger than 1, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“What’s yours, oppa? You’re so skinny I don’t think you reach 1.”

“Yeah, how much was it…”

Jihoo took out his Hunter card from his wallet.

The inspection date on the back was evident, along with the number 0.82.

“Aigoo, you really need to gain some weight.”

Jihoo stretched his head and bit his lips.

“What about you, hyung?”

“Me? Mine’s 1.21.”

“Wow, pig.”

“Yeah right, skeleton.”

Still not understanding it completely, Yoojin asked again.

“But what does that have to do with this? People can go to dungeons accordingly based on the DEPC or something anyway.”

Seungho started explaining again.”

“It matters. A lot. I heard most of the attack squads that target dungeons always keep this DEPC in mind. For example, let’s say the limit of a dungeon is DEPC 15. You’d think that means only 15 people can go in, right? No, it’s not like that.”

“Then how?”

“Attack teams don’t know what kind of environment a dungeon is before they enter it, you know? When the attack leader comes in, was it 30 seconds or 1 minute? Anyway, the dungeon gate closes really quickly, so they can’t come out again. So they have to take everything at once. They don’t know how many days the attack would last, so they have to bring food, water, weapons, and armor. It can be very cold inside, so they need winter clothes. There are so many things they need to take with them. If you take that into consideration, from the DEPC 15, only 8 or 9 people can actually enter the dungeon. And that’s on the assumption that they only took with them what they need!”

“Eh… How’d they measure the volume of everything?”

“Every guild and attack team has 3D volume scanners. Not just the association. When they pack for dungeon attacks, they have to check everything.”

“Ah… So that means…”

“Do you get it now? The attack team that Jihoo would join won’t have to care about the DEPC! They can take all the luggage they want and take as many people as possible. And Jihoo would charge storage fees for it!”

“But even if Jihoo oppa places all the luggage in his subspace, once they get into the dungeon and take them out again, they’d exceed the DEPC.”

“No, that’s not how it works. The number won’t matter once they’re past the gate. Going over the DEPC doesn’t mean the dungeon will vomit them out.”

“That’s fascinating.”

“Anyway, let’s say the gates are closed. Is it something like a weight? After finishing weigh-ins the day before the attack, people can gain weight by the end of it and it’ll be okay.”

Jihoo added.

“If that’s not the system, hunters who have summoning skills or hunters who can make themselves bigger won’t be any use.”

Yoojin silently listened to their explanation.

The overly excited Seungho filled his cup of water again, while Jihoo was lost in thought.

He really didn’t think of that. 

The possibility of entering dungeons as a porter.

Until now, taking porters into dungeons was unimaginable because of the restrictions.

Jihoo admired his hyung’s bright idea, but his thoughts didn’t remain for long.

“No.”

Seungho and Jihoo looked at Yoojin at the same time.

“No way. Jihoo oppa’s gonna go into a dungeon? Not as a part of a collection team at the end of the attack, but in a dungeon where magic beasts are still alive?  And he’s going to be a porter?”

Yoojin hugged her knees as she looked at the two men.

“You said that the collection team job is safe, but oppa ended up in a coma for three days. Now what?”

“Hmm… Yoojin-ah, we can always coordinate with attack teams in advance. If we make them promise to take him with them and not put him in any danger…”

Seungho tried to persuade Yoojin, but the girl fiercely stared at him.

“Promise? Did you say promise? Oppa’s safety can be promised? So you mean Jihoo oppa got hurt because the dungeon team didn’t promise safety? What’s wrong with you, Seungho oppa. Do you want Jihoo oppa to get in trouble? You blew wind in his head last time too, but now are you trying to kill him?”

“Hey, hey… What are you talking about? Do you think I was happy when Jihoo was hurt…”

“No matter how ignorant I am of the hunter world, I’m scared because I know how dangerous dungeons are!”

Tears began to mix with Yoojin’s voice, but Jihoo couldn’t take a hint.

“Yeah, Yoojin-ah. You don’t have to be so pessimistic. And I don’t know if what hyung says is accurate, but I’m sure I can earn a lot with…”

“Again with the money talk! You’re willing to do anything to earn it!”

Yoojin finally burst into tears.

She buried her head and began to cry.

“Uh… Yoojin-ah… Sorry. For now…”

Jihoo reached out a hand to pat her, but Yoojin slapped him off.

“I don’t need your explanation! Do what you want, go put yourself in danger, even if you’ll die!”

Yoojin stood up and slammed the door as she left.

Silence fell in the room.

“…”

“…”

“…Sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things…”

“It’s okay, hyung… Whoo.”

That’s how the discussion on Jihoo’s dungeon participation concluded.

* * *

‘I’m scared because I know how dangerous dungeons are!’

The words that Yoojin cried yesterday lingered in his ears.

Yes, dungeons are dangerous.

He couldn’t refute Yoojin’s accurate point.

High risk and high return.

It’s a double-edged blade that is the basis for attacking dungeons.

In fact, there were quite a few cases of people unable to return alive.

Two conditions had to be met to return safely from a dungeon.

First, they had to knock down the boss to reopen the gate.

Second, they have to leave within 24 hours of the gate being reopened. Otherwise, the gate will disappear forever and hunters will never be able to return to Earth again. 

The problem was with open-world-type dungeons simply because of their vast width.

Other than that, the gate opens again when an attack team’s vitality level drops to less than 30% of its entry position.

The number was difficult as it is entirely possible for an attack team to be completely annihilated.

The same is true if there is only a small number of people in an attack team.

If only four people entered a DEPC 15 dungeon, they would still have to achieve the first and second conditions.

In the worst-case scenario, if the alternative exit of 30% vitality is the only way out, that meant only one out of the four people would survive.

The most important thing here is life.

Nevertheless, there is a rumor that 10% of hunters every year fail to return.

Accurate information on hunters’ mortality rate is not readily accessible because the government controls it thoroughly, but the fact that one in ten hunters might die pressed hunters with great stress and fear.

It was the lives of the hunters that often crossed the threshold of death more than war mercenaries.

High return.

If hunters complete a dungeon attack and close the gate, they will receive double rewards.

First of all, the government rewards them handsomely.

Huge taxes are spent on protecting national security and rewarding hunters who risk their lives.

Complaints about why precious taxes are being spent on such a thing have been steadily raised, but there had been a consensus reached that it was an inevitable cost.

Without great compensation, no matter how much the state obliges them, hunters will not use their rare transcendent abilities and risk their lives in dangerous dungeons.

That would mean dungeon breaks would continue to explode, and the state won’t be able to handle the loss of life and property that would cost.

Catching a beast inside and outside a dungeon was completely different.

Besides, it was hunters who would have to deal with beasts even outside dungeons.

There was also the question of how anarchic society would be if these powerful people, who even police forces cannot control, infiltrate private infrastructure.

War was bound to break out, not to mention fighting for sport.

If hunters collude with criminal gangs, the problem would get worse.

Therefore, it was for the stability of the country to tie hunters into dungeons.

The next reward they’d get is from the dungeon itself.

Items dropped by beasts, masonry, the corpse of the beasts, dungeon minerals, plants, and others.

Even in a different dimension, everything can be sold for money.

Items that can be used as useful energy sources and valuable resources in various fields and industries are plentiful in dungeons.

The degree of profit varies, but the fact remains that it makes them money.

Exhausting poverty and inescapable debts.

If not for Yoojin, Jihoo would’ve dreamt of that high-risk and high-return situation.

But he doesn’t know now.

He didn’t want to push ahead with entering dungeons when he knows that it would hurt Yoojin.