Angry shouts echoed through the Plenary Hall. The Chairman’s pleas for order were drowned out by the roar of voices as the attendees' tempers continued to flare.
"The dungeon problem is a global crisis! The United Nations must take over the management of all emerging dungeons and deploy a multinational force to maintain security!"
"Don't be absurd! Dungeons appearing within a nation's borders must be managed by that nation, under its own responsibility!"
"Do you have any idea how many dungeons have appeared?!"
"We are seeing a massive number of casualties across the globe! To stabilize the situation quickly, we must entrust this to the UN!"
The General Assembly was in total disarray, with opinions on how to handle the dungeons split into two primary camps.
One group argued that dungeon management should remain a domestic matter, while the other insisted on delegating control to the UN. The former consisted mainly of developed nations with substantial militaries who balked at the idea of UN intervention on their soil. The latter was composed of developing nations with small or nonexistent militaries.
For the developed nations, the simple truth was that they could manage their own dungeons with their existing forces. They wanted to avoid foreign troops being stationed on their territory through peacekeeping operations, and with dungeon-related expenses already skyrocketing, they had no desire to foot the bill for an extraordinary peacekeeping force budget.
Meanwhile, the developing nations lacked the military strength even to maintain basic public order. They had neither the manpower nor the funds to spare for dungeon security and felt they had no choice but to rely on a UN multinational force.
"Every nation is already stretched to its limit dealing with its own dungeons! In a world with zero surplus military strength, forming a multinational force is simply impossible!"
"But we can't just leave them be!"
"Which is why we are saying each nation must take responsibility for the dungeons within its own borders!"
"But they’re appearing everywhere! To respond with any kind of speed, the UN needs to take the lead—"
The debate continued to go in circles.
Because the dungeons had appeared so suddenly, there had been no time for the usual diplomatic groundwork before the General Assembly. Every nation prioritized its own interests, and the session descended into chaos.
Finally...
"Order! Order! Everyone, I am calling a temporary adjournment! The schedule for the resumption of this assembly will be announced at a later date!"
Seeing that further discussion was futile, the Chairman brought the session to an end. Though the attendees remained agitated, they understood that no resolution was forthcoming and solemnly filed out of the Plenary Hall. Once back in their offices, the ambassadors immediately summoned their secretaries, ordering them to begin behind-the-scenes negotiations with other nations to break the deadlock.
In a dimly lit conference room, various graphs flickered across a screen. The Attendees gathered there all wore grim expressions.
"Dungeon appearances are destabilizing economies across the board. The situation is particularly dire in Africa, and there is a high risk of the impact rippling out into a global crisis."
"Africa, hmm..."
"A pandemic is currently sweeping the entire continent. A state of emergency has been declared."
"In such conditions, normal economic activity is essentially impossible."
The Attendees sighed at the mention of the African continent. They were well aware of the unprecedented scale of the disaster unfolding there.
The African Ambassador raised a hand to speak.
"My country—no, the nations of Africa—require immediate economic aid. We need loans urgently."
"I agree. At this rate, we will see a succession of national economic collapses."
"We certainly... cannot afford to let them collapse."
While several ambassadors voiced their support for the African Ambassador’s plea, the majority looked conflicted.
"However, providing loans to the entire continent would require immense capital..."
"Indeed. Every nation is currently struggling with the costs of their own dungeon countermeasures. Providing large-scale funding at this stage is a difficult ask."
"..."
Silence fell over the room.
There was no money. That was the grim reality everyone present understood.
"...Is there any country capable of providing the necessary funds?"
"A country whose economy has remained steady even after the dungeons appeared..."
The ambassadors murmured among themselves, their gazes eventually converging on a single point.
"...Are you perhaps referring to my country?" the Japanese Ambassador asked.
Maintaining a carefully neutral expression and tone, he addressed his counterparts.
"...It is true that Japan has suffered relatively little dungeon damage and our economic activities continue as normal, but we are hardly in a position to offer such vast sums of money."
"But we've heard your economy is booming thanks to the announcement of Core Crystal power generation..."
"The announcement has certainly turned the domestic economy toward an upward trend. However, we don't expect to see real growth until the large-scale Core Crystal power generation facilities currently under construction begin commercial operation."
"...And when will they begin 'commercial operation'?"
"If construction stays on schedule, the facilities will be finished in July, with operations starting by the end of the year. Which means..."
"That providing funds within this fiscal year is impossible?"
"Yes."
The Japanese Ambassador didn't flatly refuse, but he made it clear that immediate funding was out of the question. Many of the ambassadors sighed in disappointment. They didn't need money next year; they needed it now.
"...Is there really no way to provide funding this year?"
"I'm afraid not. It is simply impossible to provide enough capital to cover the entire African continent, especially when we must reserve funds for our own domestic dungeon countermeasures."
"...I see."
The cost of dungeon countermeasures was a massive, unforeseen drain on every nation's budget. Most countries were burning through their reserves at a rate that would leave them empty within the year. Consequently, no one was eager to commit to foreign aid.
The African Ambassador understood this reality all too well and lapsed into a somber silence.
"...Still, we cannot simply do nothing."
"True."
The meeting dragged on, and eventually, a total of one billion dollars in temporary loan funds was scraped together from various countries. A distribution plan based on each African nation's GDP was established, and the loan process began.
In a courtroom presided over by several judges, a man stood at the witness stand, loudly championing his nation's cause.
"As this map clearly demonstrates, the dungeon in question lies within our borders. Therefore, the rights to this dungeon belong to our nation, and deploying troops to the vicinity for security purposes is our legitimate right."
"Objection!"
"Order! The Man from Country A is still presenting his case. Refrain from speaking until you are called upon."
"Tch!"
At the Presiding Judge’s reprimand, the Man from Country B bit his lip and fell silent.
"...Please continue, Country A."
"Thank you."
The Man from Country A spared his counterpart a smug, fleeting smirk. He continued his argument for some time, insisting that their actions were a lawful exercise of sovereignty and that Country B’s complaints were baseless.
Once he had finished, he received the Presiding Judge's leave and returned to his seat with a confident stride.
"Country B, you may present your argument."
"Yes!"
After throwing a resentful glare at the Man from Country A, the Man from Country B stood at the witness stand, bristling with indignation.
"As shown in the documents provided, our nations have signed a treaty restricting the deployment of military forces to the buffer zone along our border. Country A's recent military actions near the border are a blatant violation of that treaty. We demand an immediate withdrawal!"
The dispute Country A and Country B had brought before the International Court of Justice centered on this treaty violation. The conflict had been sparked when a dungeon appeared within the designated buffer zone.
While the location was technically within Country A's territory, it sat inside the restricted zone. Country A had dispatched troops for security, but Country B had protested vehemently, citing the treaty.
Country A, however, argued that their actions fell under a special clause in the treaty regarding disaster response. By labeling the dungeon's appearance a natural disaster, they sought to justify the military presence. Naturally, Country B refused to accept this interpretation and had moved its own troops to the very edge of the buffer zone, resulting in a tense military standoff.
"Country A is the one in violation. Until they withdraw their forces from the buffer zone, we cannot pull back our own for the sake of our national security. That is all."
"I see. Next..."
With the opening statements concluded, the Presiding Judge moved to verify the details and began a period of questioning. The written rebuttals were standard, and the verification process went quickly. However, the courtroom grew heated once they moved to the core issue: whether a dungeon qualified as a natural disaster under the terms of the treaty.
Country A insisted that a dungeon was no different from a volcanic eruption or a flood, making their military deployment legitimate. Country B countered that a dungeon was more akin to a nest of dangerous predators; a military presence was unnecessary, and the situation should be handled by police or civil security forces. Both sides refused to budge.
Eventually, the representatives asked the Judges how they intended to define a dungeon.
"How would we... define a dungeon?"
"Well... we aren't in a position to offer a definitive answer on that just yet..."
"Since the UN General Assembly hasn't reached a conclusion on the definition, the International Court of Justice cannot establish one independently..."
The Presiding Judge and his fellow Judges averted their eyes, their answers vague and noncommittal.
Because dungeons had no legal definition under international law, the court was essentially admitting it couldn't rule on whether Country A’s actions constituted a disaster response.
"..."
Watching the Judges struggle, both the Man from Country A and the Man from Country B felt a surge of doubt regarding the court's very purpose. If the court couldn't even determine if the situation was a disaster, it was effectively saying it couldn't adjudicate the case.
"..."
A heavy silence fell over the courtroom as everyone realized the trial had reached a dead end. Sensing the awkward tension, the Presiding Judge cleared his throat and hurriedly declared the session over.
"Ahem! That concludes the first round of oral arguments. The date for the second round will be announced later. Thank you, everyone."
The Presiding Judge fled the courtroom to avoid further scrutiny, followed closely by the other Judges. The representatives of Country A and Country B watched them go with unreadable expressions. Without a single word of further argument, they shared a brief, silent nod and quietly left the room.
In the Security Council, the debate turned to whether a peacekeeping force should be formed and deployed to manage the dungeons appearing worldwide.
The discussion immediately stalled. Every permanent member was opposed to the idea.
"It is impossible to deploy a peacekeeping force to every dungeon in every member state!"
"Perhaps a small-scale deployment to simply blockade them?"
"Even a small deployment would require an astronomical number of personnel and funding given the sheer volume of dungeons! With dungeons appearing in every UN member state, every nation is too busy securing its own territory to contribute elsewhere!"
Despite the desperate pleas of the non-permanent members, they could not sway the permanent members and their veto power. The cost of maintaining a global peacekeeping force was simply too high. With economies in disarray, no one could afford the burden.
"We recognize the need to support developing nations, but for now, every country must handle its own dungeons. We simply do not have the resources to provide large-scale aid."
"..."
"...Then, we shall put it to a vote."
At the Chairman’s word, ballots were distributed. The vote was on whether to dispatch a peacekeeping force to dungeons worldwide.
The result was predictable. Every permanent member exercised their veto, and several non-permanent members voted against the motion as well. The proposal for a peacekeeping force was defeated.
Instead, the UN established a policy of indirect support—providing supplies and humanitarian aid rather than direct military intervention.
The Secretary-General held his head in his hands as he reviewed the reports from the various meetings.
"In a crisis of this magnitude, we are powerless. As long as we depend on member states for our funding and our military strength, we cannot act on our own."
The United Nations was a union of sovereign states, not a world government, and in the face of a global crisis like the dungeons, that distinction was proving disastrous. Without the consensus of the Security Council or the General Assembly, the UN had no authority to act—and even if it did, it had no money and no troops to deploy. For now, they could only watch from the sidelines as each nation scrambled to survive on its own.
"If only we had our own independent resources and military..."
The Secretary-General sighed, disheartened by the profound helplessness of the organization he led.