# Chapter 19: Promise and Principle
"You should not be limited to this, undead."
Withdrawing his Dragon-Hunting Sword Lance, Joshua stood in place, his aura steady, like a towering mountain peak. He did not continue attacking, did not strike Alman down a thousand times in one breath to exhaust all the essence of the undead army within him and completely annihilate him. Instead, he spoke in a deep voice: "I can see it—you are seeking death. This battle is an insult to me."
"Utterly boring."
His voice was faint, devoid of any emotion. At this moment, Joshua was merely shaking his head as a warrior.
"I should be stronger?"
And Alman, whose body had once again reconstituted, was dazed for a moment. The corner of his mouth twisted into a smile devoid of any feeling: "It seems someone once... no, a dragon once said those words."
The Dragon Armor General could not help but recall the past when he was still alive.
It was a very, very long time ago.
Nearly five hundred years ago, in the southwestern part of the Central Empire, the Weaving Shadow Forest was attacked by several Heaven Realm Red Dragons, causing a great drought for a thousand miles. The Empire was busy suppressing the constant internal rebellions and pirates along the border seas and had no time to rescue the towns around the Weaving Shadow Forest. Thus, famine raged, bones littered the ground, and all survivors would kill for a little water and food, even resorting to eating human flesh and drinking human blood.
In the midst of this tragic disaster, in a small mountain town, within a family named Fernando, only a youth called Alman survived by drinking the toxic underground water in the mine tunnels. His sister, his younger brother and sister had all died, even eaten by other maddened famine victims, and those victims had long since perished in the despair called hunger. The youth, who had even lost his enemies, turned his gaze, filled with venom and curses, toward the end of the sky, the edge of the Sea of Tears.
That was the direction of Dragon Island.
That was also the direction of his hatred.
Taken in by distant relatives, the youth trained himself with maddening effort, driven by hatred to strive without rest. A few years later, Alman entered the Imperial Mana Academy in the capital, doing everything possible to improve his strength. However, because he had drunk too much underground water containing heavy metal impurities as a child, his body had severe defects, preventing his strength from ever catching up to classmates of similar talent, let alone achieving his goal—breaching Dragon Island and killing all dragons.
Just as he was sinking into despair, a classmate at the academy, usually very low-key and of unknown origin, found Alman.
"Alman, your body limits your achievements, but your talent and effort should not be buried like this."
This young man said with a smile: "I admire you. Swear loyalty to me, and I can give you the power to fulfill your wish."
That was the Fifth Prince of the current Emperor of the Central Empire.
That was Alman's guide, the one who gave him secret techniques.
That was also the one who, with the full support of the blood-soaked general, ultimately ascended to the throne of the next Emperor.
Thus, thirty years later, the invincible Lord of Ten Thousand Armies, by the Emperor's command, led the Empire's most elite army of three hundred thousand across the Sea of Tears, besieged Dragon Island, and completely annihilated the pure-blooded dragon race.
"That Gemstone Dragon King once said this."
Over five hundred years later, the general, awakened from peaceful eternal slumber, spoke in a nostalgic tone: "You came for revenge. Your destruction of the dragon race is fate, and I hold no resentment. But it's a pity—you are not a true strong one."
"A pity, you are not strong enough. That strange dragon said this back then."
Standing opposite the general, Joshua remained silent. He listened to Alman recount his fragmented memories, without any intention of interrupting.
Because as these memories were spoken, the aura on the Dragon Armor General's body was also changing bit by bit. This change was very marvelous, as if the dead earth was reviving, and life was beginning to be born in the darkness.
"I am not a warrior like you, otherworlder." The Dragon-Slaying General, Alman Fernando, somewhat desolately returned his blade to the sheath at his waist. He laughed: "I am a general commanding an army. My martial skill only needs to be enough to hold out under the attacks of a strong one like you until my personal guards can come to assist."
"My individual strength is indeed limited to this. With this broken body alone, I was never your match." But as he said this, Alman suddenly changed his tone, and his voice was no longer as cold and dead as a machine, but carried a trace of vivid desire: "But you're right. I shouldn't lose like this."
"I should give my all." Sword sheathed, the general covered in full dragon-scale armor looked up at the massive phantom of the War God. The Skeletal War God lowered its head, extended its huge energy arm, lifted him, and placed him on its palm. Layers of thick, bottomless black mist that reflected no light surged wildly from the gaps in Alman's armor, then merged into the War God's body. A low male voice echoed in midair: "So, as you wish, witness—"
"The limit of the Lord of Ten Thousand Armies!"
In an instant, the energy fluctuation on Alman's body plummeted to the level of Mid-Ultimate-rank. The vast, ocean-like violent energy was all poured into the huge War God phantom and the surrounding undead army.
For combat power, this was undoubtedly a decline—Alman, having condensed the energy of the entire army, was still above the warrior in pure power. But due to the gap in skill, even with the help of the War God phantom, he could only exchange blows with Joshua, and in one-on-one combat, all his moves were seen through after a few hundred rounds. Now, distributing all energy among tens of thousands of troops and the giant War God basically meant being defeated one by one.
But the next moment, a wind blew.
The undead soldiers, who had been like machines, now seemed to wake from a dream. The red light in their eye sockets, which had no fluctuation, began to flicker with lively light. Layers of gray-white flesh and internal organs grew on their bones, filling their empty bodies. After a brief commotion, these soldiers, who had regained blood, memories, and killing intent, once again focused their ferocious gazes on Joshua.
This was the tiger-wolf army that followed the Dragon-Slaying General through hundreds of battlefields. Although they couldn't figure out what was happening for a moment, due to the link of the Lord of Ten Thousand Armies' secret technique, they clearly understood that the man before them was their enemy!
Boundless blood and killing aura converged. Flesh also began to regrow on the huge War God phantom. With a hoarse roar, a robust War God with a firm face and leather armor, completely different from the previous skeleton image, stood on the earth. At this moment, his sword and hammer were fully regenerated, even heavier and sharper than before.
"I never pride myself on personal brute force, but on winning with the strength of many."
Standing in the hand of the War God that had regained flesh, Alman, who was gradually merging with the War God, issued his final command: "Dragon-Slaying Army Formation!"
"Yes!"
In responses that echoed through the sky, on the forehead of each reborn undead soldier, several or even dozens of runes containing battle intent and killing thought rose into the air. The runes scattered everywhere, seemingly chaotic, but their flight paths had hidden patterns. In a few breaths, these formation runes had formed a huge array several kilometers in diameter, with the Flesh War God as its core. And the center of the array was Joshua, completely covered and with most of his movements sealed.
At this moment, within the array, the shadow energy from nearly ten thousand Gold-rank undead soldiers repelled everything. They constantly shifted, moving the runes with them, forcing the warrior to stay in place. The rapidly rotating killing intent corroded everything related to life. And the Flesh War God, inhabited by Alman, after gathering momentum for a long time, roared and swung its sword down at the warrior.
The towering giant swung its sword. This strike was like a mountain collapse and a tsunami, like thunder and lightning. The sea-like energy surge, after a long buildup, burst out in an instant. In the blink of an eye, Joshua, who could only face it head-on, was engulfed by the vast sword aura.
Using the army as limbs, the War God as the core, weaving the formation himself, entering the center, gathering the power of thousands to crush everything—this was the path Alman, as an undefeated general, had chosen! At this moment, he only had a little over ten thousand elite soldiers under his command, but one could imagine how powerful and spectacular he was at his peak, leading three hundred thousand troops to pacify Dragon Island!
This sword strike fell. Joshua, bound by the layers of the array, could only raise his spear to meet it head-on. And at this moment, the warrior, having finally seen Alman's full power, also showed his true skill!
Bang! A sound like some restraint being forcibly broken rang out from all over Joshua's body. Then, countless deep red energy veins, like plant roots, surged from every energy node of the warrior. Like the flesh tentacles of a Titan, they condensed the surrounding majestic energy. Soon, a layer of battle qi steel armor, reflecting a silver-gray metallic luster like steel, appeared around Joshua, turning him into a ten-meter-tall steel giant!
The steel armor, condensed from all the life force stored in the Azure Orb, was imitated from the Mountain Titans, possessing unparalleled immense power. And at the tip of the sword spear, there was also a spiral of high temperature and impact that could burn everything. The two reinforced each other, unleashing a destructive power greater than the sum of their parts. Thus, it collided with Alman's strike, which gathered the power of ten thousand armies and was enough to split the earth's crust!
At the moment of collision, Joshua's whole body trembled. The battle qi steel armor shattered instantly, and his arms exploded like a bomb, scattering countless flesh fragments. His entire person was also smashed deep into the earth by the power of ten thousand armies.
But Alman, controlling inside the War God, was even more miserable—the Fusion Core Spear that pierced through everything broke all defenses on the War God's surface, directly injuring him as the operator. At this moment, not only was there a large hole through the War God's waist, and hundreds of undead soldiers instantly dissipated, but the Dragon Armor General's lower body was completely beaten into nothingness.
But the next moment, a red light shone from the deep pit, and the wound on the War God's abdomen also healed rapidly.
For both of them, this was just the beginning.
In the Grandia World, northwest of the continent, above the seven Obelisks in the former imperial capital of the Ulan Empire, a swordsman who was sitting quietly on top of one of his Obelisks, seemingly thinking about something, suddenly raised his head.
"The full-power form of the Lord of Ten Thousand Armies?!"
He stood up abruptly, looking south. His usually unchanging, faint tone was now filled with shock: "How could Alman be forced to this point!"
The energy fluctuation of two Heaven Realm peak strong ones fighting could spread across half the continent. At this moment, not only this undead swordsman commander, but in the center of the continent, in the Shaya Mountains, Urbandini, who was lurking underground recuperating, also extended his tree root avatar. His purple flame single eye gazed at the south.
"This is the inheritor of the Sage and the High Commander of the undead..." He murmured with a complex tone: "Humans are truly a terrifying race. In less than a hundred years, they can bloom such brilliant light."
In the town of Yaren, the old Heroic Spirit sleeping in the shrine was also awakened. He did not speak, just furrowed his brow slightly, then relaxed.
The victor had already appeared, so he didn't need to continue watching.
At this moment, on the continent of Lantia, the southwestern wilderness.
The giant War God was slowly dissipating into countless fragments and specks of light, along with the countless undead soldiers.
The core of the energy link with the thousands of undead soldiers was pierced by a stunning spear strike. The general, as the operator, was also knocked out of the great array. The price of completely breaking the secret technique of the Lord of Ten Thousand Armies was that everything related to it would be annihilated.
"Refreshing!"
Flesh regrew, and his helmet was also shattered, revealing Alman's appearance at this moment. He was a dignified middle-aged general with mostly graying hair. He was not tall; the damage from his childhood had always prevented his body from being equal to those of the same level, leaving many defects and weaknesses.
Ignoring his body that was dissipating into fragments, he laughed heartily: "Leading the army, going all out, but being defeated head-on—I have fulfilled my promise and can dissipate as I wish!"
"What promise?"
His battle qi steel armor shattered, his arms severely injured, and even now he could barely hold his spear steady. Joshua barely supported himself to stand. He frowned and asked doubtfully: "Although you have been fighting me all along, you always subtly revealed some key information. In the first half, you even deliberately fought in person, clearly seeking death."
"What are you really thinking?"
The warrior asked in a deep voice: "And why did you use the method of Death Shadow to corrode this world?"
"...Otherworldly warrior."
The general, who still didn't know Joshua's name, met his gaze. Alman said softly: "Unlike those Death Shadows, the seven undead commanders were all summoned back to life by the Ulan Empire with the bait of 'granting one wish.' But they didn't intend to fulfill the promise, so we had to do it ourselves."
"And the one who caused all this is that lord's 'wish.' My wish has been fulfilled by him, so I follow him according to my promise."
"Even if the wish of the lord you speak of is to destroy the world and slaughter the innocent?"
Joshua asked.
"Even if it is to destroy the world and slaughter the innocent."
Alman answered without hesitation.
Hearing the general's reply, Joshua shook his head with some amusement: "Your earlier behavior of seeking death doesn't match what you say."
"...Of course."
After hearing this question, Alman was silent for a long time, then also laughed scornfully: "Keeping promises and vows is my principle."
"But after all, I was once a hero."
Then, the specks of light evaporated.
He completely dissipated.