Global Survival: I Have Endless Skeletons

Chapter 549: Final Preparation - Part 3 (Bonus Chapter)

Thoren watched their stunned expressions for a couple of seconds while allowing them enough time to digest everything he had just revealed.

He could already see the countless thoughts moving through their minds as they stared at the three artifacts.

And from their expressions alone, he knew they had finally begun to understand that Black Water was never something he had established on a whim.

He had planned for its future and also planned for its expansion. And more importantly, he had planned for its survival after he was gone.

Yet he was not finished. Calmly, he reached into his inventory once again.

Whoosh!

Another object appeared in his hand.

Unlike the previous artifacts, this one was extremely simple in appearance.

It was a scroll.

An ordinary-looking scroll at first glance, except that the edges were covered in dense layers of ancient runes and strange languages that seemed to crawl across the surface.

The symbols were so complicated that merely staring at them for several seconds caused a faint dizziness to spread through the mind.

The center of the scroll was completely blank.

Not a single word and not even the faintest mark.

Thoren placed it carefully on the table.

"This is the Abyss Witness Scroll."

The three stared at it.

Celene’s eyes moved across the strange markings at the edge before she quickly looked away. For some reason, continuing to stare at them made her head feel strangely heavy.

"What grade?" Alden asked cautiously.

"Middle Silver Grade."

Silence.

Again.

Alden’s mouth twitched while Arwyn slowly narrowed her eyes.

Celene simply stared at Thoren.

By now, she had stopped trying to guess how many treasures this man possessed. She was beginning to suspect that asking would only give her another headache.

Thoren, however, did not seem bothered by their reaction as he reached toward the blank surface of the scroll.

"This one is different from the others." He tapped the blank parchment.

"It isn’t meant for communication, registration or business."

"Then what does it do?" Arwyn asked.

"Oaths." Thoren’s answer was simple. "It is an oath-keeping artifact."

The atmosphere immediately became more serious.

Unbothered by the change in atmosphere, he continued calmly.

"As long as the owner writes the rules on the scroll and the people involved sign their names with their blood, the oath becomes binding."

Alden frowned. "How binding?"

"Forever."

The single word caused their expression to change.

As for Thoren, his gaze remained calm. "Once the oath is accepted, it cannot simply be broken because someone changes their mind."

He slowly ran his finger across the blank parchment.

"The rules written on the scroll become the terms of the oath."

Celene’s expression became increasingly solemn.

"And if someone tries to break them?"

"Then the punishment written within the rules will be activated."

Arwyn’s eyes narrowed.

"So the punishment has to be written beforehand?"

"Yes."

Thoren nodded.

"The scroll follows the rules that are written on it."

He paused for a moment.

"But there is something you need to understand."

His expression became colder.

"Even if the punishment is not enough to kill the person, attempting to break the oath will still damage their soul."

The three became completely silent as Thoren continued.

"In the worst case, their souls will shatter."

Alden’s face tightened.

"Shatter?"

"Yes." Thoren looked at him.

The room became so quiet that even the faint sound of movement outside the office seemed distant.

Celene stared at the Abyss Witness Scroll.

For some reason, the blank surface now looked much more frightening than the complicated runes surrounding it.

This was not an artifact that could merely punish someone’s body.

It could judge their very soul. And now she finally understood why Thoren had brought it out after the other three artifacts.

The Thousand Soul Registry would bind Black Water’s members together.

The Ticket Artifact would allow Black Water to conduct its business.

The Mother-Child Void Mirror would allow Black Water to communicate and exchange resources across floors.

And this, the Abyss Witness Scroll would ensure that the people entrusted with Black Water could not simply turn around and betray it.

Alden slowly leaned back into his chair with his mind racing. Until this moment, he had never seriously considered betraying Thoren.

But now that the possibility had been mentioned, he realized something frightening. If they signed this contract, betrayal would no longer even be an option.

There would be no opportunity to change their minds later.

No chance to abandon Black Water when things became difficult.

No chance to take advantage of Thoren’s absence.

Doing so, their soul would become the price.

Arwyn remained quiet. Her expression was still as composed as ever, but even she could not completely conceal the seriousness in her eyes.

She looked at the Abyss Witness Scroll for a long time, then she looked at Thoren.

She finally understood why he had been so calm throughout their conversation.

He had not merely been giving them responsibility. He had been giving them trust and in return, he wanted absolute loyalty.

And trust was a fragile thing. Who knows when it was going to snap.

Thus, she believed there was nothing strange about Thoren’s action..

With him departing, then allowing three people to control Black Water without any form of protection would have been foolish.

He needed people that could never betray him. And the Abyss Witness Scroll provided exactly that.

Celene slowly exhaled.

"So this is why you’ve been showing us all these artifacts."

Thoren looked at her.

"Partly."

Celene’s fingers slowly tightened.

The weight of his words finally settled upon her shoulders.

Thoren was leaving behind an organization that could eventually spread across the Abyss. And he was placing its foundation in their hands.

Alden glanced toward his sister.

Their eyes met.

Neither needed to speak.

They understood each other.

They had already decided to join Black Water because of their instincts and because they believed Thoren could provide them with an opportunity they would never find elsewhere.

But now, Thoren was giving them something far greater.

Responsibility.

Trust.

Power.

And with that came consequences.

Arwyn finally broke the silence.

"What happens if someone signs the oath and later tries to find a loophole?"

Thoren’s lips curved slightly. "The scroll recognizes intent."

Her eyes narrowed.

"So, there is no way to exploit the wording?"

"Not if the rules are written properly." Thoren looked toward the blank scroll. "That’s why I’ll be the one writing the contract."

Celene nodded slowly.

It made sense.

If the contract was going to govern Black Water, there was no reason to allow careless wording to create loopholes that could be exploited later.

Thoren then looked at the three of them.

"I don’t intend to make the contract complicated."

His voice remained calm.

"I don’t need you to become slaves."

The three were slightly startled.

Thoren continued. "You will have freedom and you can make decisions."

"You can even disagree with me." He paused.

"But there are things you cannot do."

His eyes became sharp.

"You cannot betray Black Water."

"You cannot deliberately harm its members."

"You cannot steal its resources."

"And you cannot use Black Water to harm the organization for your own benefit."

The room remained quiet.

They had expected a much complicated and binding contract, but this shocked them.

These terms were simple.

Perhaps too simple.

But that was precisely what made them difficult to misunderstand. Thoren was not asking them to surrender their entire lives.

He was asking them to protect the organization they had agreed to lead.

Celene lowered her gaze as she thought about everything that had happened since she met Thoren.

Thoren watched them quietly.

He did not pressure them as he simply gave them time.

Time to think.

To consider carefully.

This decision had to be theirs to make.

After a long silence, Thoren finally leaned back in his chair.

"Think carefully." His voice was calm. "Once you sign, there is no going back."

Thoren gave them another moment and then he asked.

"Are you all ready to sign the contract?"

****

[AN: This Chapter is sponsored by: Scott_Berry_3382]

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!