Chapter 95

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---

The president, with a serious expression, led the meeting, with the heads of various departments crowded into the conference room. Everyone glanced at the documents in front of them and sighed.

The documents contained a simple map of the United States, with the locations of the currently confirmed dungeons marked on it.

"There are over 100 dungeons within our country...?"

"Yes. We are still mobilizing the military and police to confirm the locations of the dungeons, but... the exploration of remote areas such as mountainous regions and islands is lagging behind, and the number is likely to increase further..."

"...It's already been two months since the dungeons appeared? You can't even confirm their locations properly!?"

In response to the report from the Secretary of Homeland Security, the president slammed his fist on the table and shouted.

"But, Mr. President. Our country is vast, and it will inevitably take time to explore every corner of it."

"...How much time?"

"At the current scale of exploration, it will take about four more months..."

"!"

Hearing this response, the president raised his fist again but stopped before slamming it down, slowly lowering his clenched fist and taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"...Is it possible to increase the scale of exploration?"

"It is possible. However, increasing the scale of exploration requires securing a budget and personnel..."

Sensing the hesitation in the Secretary of Homeland Security's words and his wandering gaze, the president addressed the head of the relevant department.

"Secretary of the Treasury, is it possible to increase the exploration budget?"

"...Yes, it is possible. We can allocate additional funds as a special budget."

"I see. Secretary of Defense, is it possible to increase the number of troops from the military?"

"It is possible. However, the reserve units that can be mobilized are already being used for exploration, so it will take some time to select the units to be deployed."

"How long?"

"About two weeks."

"Very well, get to it immediately."

"Yes, sir."

After hearing the response from the relevant department, the president turned back to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

"With this, there should be no issues with the budget and personnel. Complete the location confirmation of the dungeons within two months."

"We will do our best."

The Secretary of Homeland Security nodded firmly in response to the president's clear deadline. The president nodded in satisfaction and moved on to the next agenda item.

"Secretary of Defense, what is the progress on the military's dungeon exploration?"

"It cannot be described as smooth. The initial exploration resulted in the annihilation of the selected units, and the deepest level reached by the current exploration teams is the 23rd floor underground."

"I see."

The president sighed slightly, feeling a bit disappointed. He knew that Japan had already surpassed the United States in the depth of dungeon exploration.

"Japan has already reached the 29th floor, can we catch up with them?"

"Of course. The production of weapons suitable for dungeon exploration is nearing completion. Once these are ready, we can rapidly increase the depth of exploration."

"I see. I will look forward to that being true."

The Secretary of Defense, slightly irritated by the president's tone, closed his mouth without arguing.

"Attorney General, how is the regulation of items dropped from dungeons and taken out by civilians?"

"Unfortunately, we cannot regulate them effectively. The amount of items seized and confiscated is less than the amount circulating."

"Why is that? Aren't the confirmed dungeons sealed off?"

"Yes. It is likely that most of the circulating items are from unconfirmed dungeons. And..."

The Attorney General hesitated, trailing off.

"What is it?"

"...There are instances where the police, who are supposed to seal off the dungeons, are diverting the dropped items."

"...What?"

"There are also state soldiers who dive into dungeons for extra money..."

The Attorney General's report, with a look of shame, made the president look up in disbelief. The very people who were supposed to enforce the rules were breaking them.

"...What has been done about those fools?"

"They have already been apprehended and severely punished."

"I see. We need to tighten discipline."

"Yes. We have already taken measures regarding this issue."

The Attorney General responded confidently.

"I see, then next..."

The meeting continued, with endless issues related to dungeons and a headache-inducing pile of problems.

---

The president sighed in relief upon hearing from his aide that conflicts in various regions around the world had calmed down and a temporary ceasefire treaty had been signed.

"I see. The appearance of dungeons has temporarily calmed the conflicts in various regions."

"Yes. It's unclear how long this state will last, but we would like to take this opportunity to gradually provide rest and rotation for the troops deployed."

"Very well. Phew, truly. Although the appearance of dungeons is a difficult issue, it's a bit of a relief that the world has temporarily become peaceful... If all conflicts could end this way, that would be ideal... But that's wishful thinking."

"Yes, unfortunately. Even with the appearance of the unknown dungeons, the accumulated issues are not so easily resolved..."

The aide, with a somber expression, spoke pessimistically in response to the president's wishful words.

"Of course, I understand. But considering that we have over 100 troops deployed around the world..."

"Yes."

"Well, that's fine. Let's make sure the troops on deployment get some rest and maintain their morale."

"Yes."

The aide pretended not to notice the president's muttered complaint.

---

A loud noise echoed through the president's office.

"Why didn't you notice this earlier!"

The president slammed his hands on the desk and shouted at his aide. On the desk, a newspaper was spread out, with the headline announcing Japan's successful core crystal power generation.

"I apologize. The information was heavily disguised and concealed, and we only became aware of it when it was announced."

"Completely! Was the intelligence department asleep!?"

"Since the appearance of the dungeons, the situation in various countries has been unstable, and they seem to have taken advantage of the gap in our information gathering."

"...Ha."

The president sighed deeply after hearing the aide's explanation.

"Given that it has been announced so prominently, it's impossible to cover it up now."

"Yes. The Japanese government has also released video footage of the power generation experiment, making it difficult to claim it's a fake."

"However... I never thought that core crystals, which were only considered valuable as research materials and used as materials for accessories, could have such a use..."

"Yes. To witness such an energy revolution is quite surprising..."

The aide also sighed as he looked at the newspaper spread out on the desk.

"Our oil majors will not remain silent."

"Yes. While the impact may not be immediate, if the reports in the newspaper are true, core crystal power generation will eventually replace oil and nuclear energy. Especially in Japan, where there have been nuclear accidents, it is expected to develop as an alternative to nuclear power."

"We will need to reconsider our global strategy."

"Yes."

Since the Second World War, various conflicts have arisen over oil-producing regions, but the advent of core crystal power generation is bringing about a turning point.

---

The president had an unpleasant expression after hearing the aide's report.

"Is it true that the number of illegal immigrants and drug smuggling has increased?"

"Yes. Compared to before the appearance of the dungeons, it has increased by about 30% in the past six months."

"What is the cause?"

"The influence of the dungeons."

"...That's quite vague. Can you provide more details?"

The aide handed the president a document and explained the reasons.

"Mr. President, you are aware that those who dive into dungeons and defeat monsters can obtain various powers, such as magic and skills, right?"

"Of course, they are the explorers. I have received numerous reports about them..."

"Those who have obtained powers from dungeons are using them to commit crimes. They are using the harsh routes that ordinary people cannot traverse for drug smuggling, using magic and skills to cross borders, and employing various methods for smuggling and illegal immigration."

While listening to the aide's oral explanation, the president glanced at the document handed to him. The examples of smuggling and illegal immigration methods described were almost as absurd as those seen in Hollywood movies. Among them...

"This one mentions a tunnel nearly 2 km long..."

"Yes. Upon investigation, it was found that a cabin in the mountains near the border was connected to a warehouse in the city. Not only that, but several other tunnels under construction were also discovered."

"Ridiculous. To dig such a tunnel, a considerable number of workers would be needed. Considering the disposal of excavated soil, there should have been some signs. Why was the tunnel construction overlooked?"

The document in the president's hand included a photo of the tunnel, which was wide enough for a car to pass through, with a neatly paved interior and even lighting installed.

"Here's where the explorers come in. Among those arrested when the tunnel was discovered, there were individuals with skills and magic suitable for civil engineering."

"...Magic?"

"Yes. They used magic and skills to compress the excavated soil and reinforce the inner walls, reducing the amount of soil to be disposed of. Furthermore, by mobilizing those who had obtained powers from dungeons, they achieved a work efficiency comparable to mechanical excavation, despite using manual labor. According to interrogations, they completed the tunnel in about a month."

"...What?"

The president couldn't help but groan. If it was possible to secretly dig a 2 km tunnel in a short time using manual labor, a comprehensive review of the current border control measures would be necessary. However, the aide, with a somber expression, had even worse news to report.

"...Worse yet, the tunnel diggers we apprehended this time were much less experienced compared to the average level of our military's dungeon exploration teams. This means..."

"...That even more tunnels could be dug in an even shorter time..."

"Yes."

Silence fell between the president and the aide. The already troublesome issues were becoming even more troublesome over time, causing a headache.

"We need to take immediate countermeasures."

"Yes."

"First, we need to increase the number of police and border guards."

"Yes. Also, if the law enforcement agencies are not strong enough, they cannot apprehend the criminals even if they catch them. Sending personnel to the dungeons controlled by the government for level-up training might be a good idea..."

"Yes, let's consider it."

The president sighed, closed the document, and began to receive the next report from the aide.

---

The president's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing the aide's report.

"The conflict has reignited, you say?"

"Yes. Without prior notice, they have invaded, breaking the ceasefire treaty unilaterally."

"Why would they do such a thing..."

The president glanced at the document handed to him by the aide and stopped at a particular item.

"The infantry's equipment is quite advanced..."

"Yes. The intelligence department has reported on this."

"What does it say?"

"It has been confirmed that a large amount of dungeon-produced items are being smuggled through underground channels in the relevant country. It is likely that they used the funds earned from this to upgrade their equipment..."

The document handed to the president listed the amount of funds the country was believed to have obtained through illicit transactions. The amount was enough to purchase a fifth-generation fighter jet and was sufficient to equip tens of thousands of infantry.

"I see."

"Also, although the details are still unconfirmed... there have been multiple sightings of units composed of explorers among the invading forces."

"...Really?"

"Yes. They were equipped with heavy machine guns and large-caliber mortars, moving and fighting at a speed comparable to combat vehicles. It is impossible for ordinary soldiers to do this."

"..."

The president lamented that the feared scenario had become reality, covering his face with his hand and looking up.

"Was the nearly one-year ceasefire treaty signed for this purpose..."

"Yes. It is likely that they recognized the effectiveness of dungeons from the early stages and prepared accordingly..."

"While firearms were ineffective against the monsters in the dungeons, they are not limited to that when used against humans. Those who realize this will act accordingly."

"Yes."

The president and the aide exchanged glances, feeling uneasy, and averted their eyes. The aide cleared his throat to break the silence and change the topic.

"Ahem... The intelligence department is currently gathering detailed information on the situation. They will report in a later meeting."

"Then, please prepare for the meeting as soon as possible."

"Understood."

With that, the aide left the president's office.

"The peace brought by the dungeons is being shattered by the dungeons themselves... How ironic."

The president muttered sadly, looking at the door the aide had just left through.

---

This is the U.S. edition. Since they are active abroad, I wonder if they will cause a big stir due to the affairs of other countries.

"Morning Dungeon" is now on sale. If you see it in bookstores, please pick it up and give it a try.