Global Survival: I Have Endless Skeletons

The atmosphere inside Black Water was unusually quiet.

Unlike the bustling streets of Mantis Town outside, where merchants continued moving between stalls and awakeners gathered around tables to discuss the latest developments concerning the Crimson Dune.

At the top floor of Black Water, Thoren sat at the center with Celene seated across from him.

Alden and Arwyn, the identical twins who had recently joined Black Water, sat beside her.

The two twins had already become familiar with the organization during their short time, but neither of them had truly understood what Thoren intended for Black Water.

Currently, it was a place where information could be exchanged.

A place where goods could be bought.

A place where people could obtain access to opportunities that had previously been completely inaccessible to them.

And now, with Thoren preparing to leave the second floor, he had decided what kind of organization he wanted Black Water to become.

Thoren slowly placed his cup on the table and looked at the three people before him.

"As you all know, Black Water is unlike any other guild or faction." His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable seriousness beneath it.

"We only care about exploring the Abyss and its secrets."

Celene remained silent while Alden and Arwyn listened carefully.

"So..."

Thoren paused briefly, allowing his words to settle inside their minds.

"We can’t act like others. We must be different."

The three exchanged glances.

Celene was the first to speak.

"Different how?"

"Black Water doesn’t need to conquer each floor."

Thoren leaned back slightly.

"We don’t need territory or armies, and we certainly don’t need to involve ourselves in every conflict that happens on every floor."

His eyes moved between the three.

"Our purpose is simple."

"Resources."

"Information."

"And exploration."

"If something helps us uncover the secrets of the Abyss, we pursue it, and if something has nothing to do with our purpose, we don’t waste our strength on it."

Alden nodded slowly as he could understand the logic. Arwyn, however, tilted her head slightly.

"Then what happens when someone attacks Black Water?"

Thoren’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"We defend ourselves." His answer was immediate. "And when necessary, we retaliate."

A faint coldness appeared in his eyes.

"But we don’t become like the factions we despise simply because we possess power."

The twins became slightly solemn.

They understood the meaning behind his words. Thoren was not trying to create another guild that would dominate the second floor.

He wanted something different. Something that could continue existing even when he was no longer around.

And although he had no intention of abandoning Black Water, he knew better than anyone that relying on one person to keep an organization alive was nothing but a recipe for disaster.

If Black Water depended entirely on his presence, the moment he left, everything could collapse.

Thoren had no intention of allowing that to happen.

"I’ll be leaving the second floor soon."

The three became quiet.

Although they had already suspected it, hearing him say it directly still caused their expressions to become slightly complicated.

Alden’s expression became solemn.

Arwyn’s fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her chair.

Celene simply stared at him.

"But Black Water must continue regardless."

Thoren reached into his inventory.

Whoosh!

A strange artifact suddenly appeared in his hand.

The object looked like a small dark metallic disk surrounded by intricate silver patterns, with countless tiny runes carved across its surface, each rune faintly glowing as though an invisible force was circulating through the artifact.

The moment it appeared, all three stared at it.

"What is that?" Alden asked.

Thoren placed the artifact carefully on the table.

"This is the Thousands Soul Registry."

"Thousands Soul Registry?" Celene repeated the name with a slight frown.

Thoren nodded. "It’s a Low Silver Grade Artifact."

Silence.

The three stared at him.

Then their expressions changed.

A Low Silver Grade Artifact.

Even among the powerful factions of the second floor, there hadn’t been High Bronze Grade equipment and now,

Thoren had casually placed a Silver Grade one on the table as though it were nothing more than an ordinary tool.

Alden’s eyes widened. "You’re giving this to Black Water?"

"Yes."

The answer was so casual that the twins exchanged another stunned glance. As for Thoren, he continued before they could ask further.

"The artifact can register every member of Black Water."

He touched the surface of the artifact.

"When someone joins the organization, the registry creates a mark."

"A tattoo."

The three looked at each other.

"The tattoo can be placed on the hand, arm, neck or any other part of the body, depending on the member’s preference."

Celene’s eyes narrowed. "What does it do?"

Thoren raised one finger.

"First, members with the mark can sense each other when they are within a certain distance."

Alden’s expression immediately changed.

"That alone is useful."

"It is." Thoren raised a second finger.

"Second, any member can send a distress signal to nearby members."

Arwyn’s eyes widened. "So if someone is attacked..."

"Anyone nearby carrying the mark can receive the signal."

Thoren nodded.

"That means no member needs to wander around the Abyss completely unaware of whether another member is in danger."

Celene’s expression became increasingly serious.

She was beginning to understand why Thoren had brought this artifact out. This was not merely a means of identification.

It was a communication and security system.

Thoren continued with the same calm tone, raising another finger.

"Third, members can detect when another member kills a fellow member."

The room suddenly became silent.

Alden’s eyebrows rose. "Even if the killer tries to hide it?"

"The registry will record it."

Thoren’s voice remained calm.

"Black Water members won’t be able to secretly murder one another and simply disappear."

Celene’s expression became solemn.

That function alone could prevent countless internal conflicts.

Thoren continued.

"Fourth, the tattoo can signal when a member has fallen."

Arwyn stared at the artifact.

"You mean..."

"If a registered member dies, the artifact will notify the organization."

The room became even quieter.

For an organization that would eventually spread throughout the Abyss, knowing when and where members were lost could become extremely important.

Thoren then raised his final finger.

"Lastly, an assigned leader can send a short message to any member of the organization through the artifact."

That finally broke the twins’ composure.

"What?" Alden leaned forward.

"You can send messages directly?"

"Short messages."

Thoren nodded.

"No matter where the members are, as long as the artifact’s restrictions are not exceeded, the assigned leader can communicate important information to them."

Arwyn stared at the Thousand Soul Registry for several seconds before slowly exhaling.

"This..."

She struggled to find the right words. "It’s not simply a registration artifact."

Celene finished for her.

"It’s an entire organizational communication system."

Thoren smiled faintly. "Exactly."

The three remained stunned.

They had originally thought Black Water would simply become another faction dealing in goods and information.

But with this artifact, things were completely different. It meant Black Water could grow without becoming dependent on physical proximity.

Members could spread throughout different towns.

They could explore different regions and they could search for ruins.

Gather information.

And despite being separated by enormous distances, they could still remain connected. More importantly, the artifact created another layer of trust.

If someone betrayed Black Water and killed one of its members, the organization would know.

If someone fell in battle, the organization would know.

If someone needed help, the organization could respond.

Alden slowly shook his head. "Where did you even get something like this?"

Thoren ignored the question and instead, he reached into his inventory again.

Whoosh!

And another artifact appeared. The moment it landed on the table, the three stared at it.

Silence.

Their eyes slowly widened.

Thoren looked at their expressions and calmly said, "This is another thing I want Black Water to have."

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