Doomsday Pillars

After the battle against the 50 orcs was over, even though there were no casualties, more than twenty fighters were seriously injured while the moderately injured were more than double that figure.

If they had fought without the Tier 2 artifact weapons and the stone golem James brought, there was absolutely no way that they could win against those fifty orcs without casualties.

Because too many people were injured and Nathaniel and Winter had used up their spirit energy, all the other three hundred fighters decided to leave the 11th floor and focus on healing themselves first.

President McCord saw this decision as a very wise one.

"Does this mean we've finished the 11th floor?" asked President McCord.

Winter heard the president's question and answered:

"No, this floor isn't finished yet… When this floor is finished, a new gate leading to the hall of the next floor should appear. My estimation is that we have to defeat 3-4 more times the number of orcs from the previous battle to clear this floor."

President McCord envisioned 3-4 times the previous number of orcs.. There was already no way that they would be able to fight them in their initial state, much less in their current condition... 

After they got to the bottom floor, James tried to ask the fighters and soldiers questions and estimate the amount of energy they acquired from defeating the sixty orcs earlier.

The results were quite encouraging. Of the more than a hundred soldiers brought by Captain Marcus, on average, they got an increase of 2 to 3 levels. Whereas the previous veteran fighter who had reached level 4 to 6 only got a 1-level increase and fighters at the top level like James did not get a level increase.

After that, President McCord held a discussion with elite fighters, which included Winter Nathanael. He also invited Edy Grog and the five Grog brothers to the discussion.

The conclusion they reached was:

First of all, the quality of the fighters was more important than the quantity of the fighters. In the previous battles, almost more than half of the fighters present couldn't contribute anything. Meanwhile, the pillar only had a hundred recovery pods. So it would be very dangerous if the victims exceeded more than a hundred people. They agreed that the best number to continue would be from a hundred to two hundred fighters at maximum, as they couldn't afford to have too many people injured at the same time. With this, they would be able to swap positions and become backup support when they needed to.

Second. Their levels were a problem. They decided not to allow fighters under level 5 to join the fight, unless the fighter had an artifact or had mastered one of the elemental spirit skills.

Of the four hundred people who fought earlier, Nathaniel was the only one who had A-rank talent. For B-ranks, there were only seven people. As for the rest, the number of people of C-rank and D-rank combined did not reach fifty people. They probably need to find more spirit talented people if they need to advance the pillars

Third, the artifacts. President McCord saw for herself the difference between the fighters who used a Tier 2 artifact and those who did not. The artifacts that could be found from the secret locations that this pillar pointed to were the Tier 2 artifacts. The strength of these artifacts would determine the success of passing the next floor.

President McCord took everything she had noticed in the past day seriously. She herself had been trying to increase her realm to enter the Earth Realm. Currently, President McCord felt as though she had a physique that exceeded that of an athlete.

This Doomsday Pillar was truly something miraculous. The president was lost in thought... she was imagining all the pillars that were now scattered in America, and a feeling of worry began to linger in her mind. She then decided to end the meeting and told everyone to go back.

Everyone, except James.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Madam President?"

"James, I thought I've told you previously. Please call me Elizabeth."

"Okay, is something bothering your mind?"

The president's expression turned serious. She looked at James with a careful look and said:

"Mr. Randall... what else will we find on the higher floors of that pillar?"

James then told her about the stage above the Earth Realm. When they cross the 30th floor, they would be faced with a new challenge, and if they succeed, the second hall facility would open. There, they would be able to gain access to higher-tier artifacts and knowledge.

"I thought so!" exclaimed the president with a sigh.

President McCord was a former member of the CIA, agents who focus on seeking intellectual information. Her previous position as a secretary of state was also tasked with forming international relations and predicting the direction of foreign threats.

The sigh of the president showed that she was worried about something new.

"How can I help you, Elizabeth?" asked James.

"James, I think this apocalypse's plague is the scariest thing that has ever happened to our world. And my job as president is to rebuild… but… this Doomsday Pillar will be the next disaster for us."

"Disaster?" asked James. He wanted to know what President McCord's view on this was.

"Yes, James. I believe that our world will soon be dominated by those who have high fighting talents or those who manage to own a lot of artifacts and spirit stones... like the Grog family... To be greedy for power and wealth is a part of human nature that cannot be stopped. I worry about the future of our world."

When President McCord said this, she realized that, from the reaction on James's face, James didn't seem surprised at all...

"James, could it be that you already know about this?"

James Randall answered, "It wasn't me, but my friend Alex said it. He told me about this even before this pillar came down to Earth."

"Haha... maybe this friend of yours really came from the future..."

"He really did, Elizabeth. I believe it..."

Elizabeth was silent and couldn't answer him. The occurrence of people coming from the future was as strange as those orcs and goblins that only existed in fantasy stories. Elizabeth pondered for a moment before asking, "James... your friend... does he have a message for me?"

James smiled then took out a letter.

"Actually, Alex has long prepared a message for you. But he asked me to observe and decide whether you're worthy of receiving this letter."

"Worthy… why? The requirements are…?" She couldn't quite understand why she had to have which of her worth had to be proven in order to receive a letter.

"My trust and your care toward other human beings," replied James.

President McCord accepted and began reading it. The letter Alex wrote contained America's condition in Alex's previous life. In the previous world, there was no president named Elizabeth McCord. Alex estimated that even if Elizabeth survived the initial chaos in the world of his previous life, Elizabeth McCord likely did not succeed in doing anything, because her name was not known at all.

Next, Alex wrote that the power of the government of the United States did not last more than six months since the pillar came. The states established their own power after tasting the miracle from the pillars, and the war for spirit stones and artifacts ruined them. When the first moment of tribulation fell a year later, countless Americans fell because they could not be united.

The president could feel that what Alex wrote was very likely to happen. The American security guards could not compare to the fighters who entered this pillar. At this time, a rebellion would easily occur at the slightest catalyst, and the public safety would be in danger.

How this letter was made before the pillar even came and by a foreigner in a foreign country really affected her mind.

In another part of the letter, the location of artifacts which was very important to be found immediately, as well as the names of people who had great talent and became figures from the Americas was mentioned.

Alex added that he hoped that humanity would be able to unite.

After reading the letter, it seemed that the president's worries began to subside.

"Thank you, James, for believing in me and giving this letter to me..."

James then asked, "So what are you planning to do now, Elizabeth?"

"I assure you, this letter won't be in vain in the slightest, James."

President McCord planned to divert all of the 30,000 troops available to secure the pillar location and, of course, search for those with their names in the letter and the artifacts in the letter.

"Good."

Suddenly, the president thought of someone.

"James I just noticed, I did not seem to have seen Kenny at all in this camp...? I thought that the CIA member that I sent to Bali would already be here by now..."

"Ah, Kenny... actually..."

James suddenly looked awkward and felt a little worried to say it.

"Actually, Alex gave him a special mission. He is currently with Admiral Gerald. They are heading to the north of America, to Alaska..."

"Alaska…?"

President McCord didn't know what to say. She didn't know whether she should feel happy because Alex was preparing something that would be able to help her or feel angry because the high-ranking admiral and her carrier ship were carrying out a mission that was not part of her order.

James could only smile. Luckily, Alex's letter was already in the hands of the president... otherwise, more problems would most likely occur.

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 End of the America Chapters.