this infinite world

Ocelotus, the Demon King—the former ruler of Lothric and the originator of the Twin Princes' bloodline.

Ironically, despite being given the title of "Demon King," which sounds quite evil, long ago he could be considered a diligent and hardworking ruler. Not only did the people praise him, but there were also no rumors or slanders about him in the kingdom.

If time had remained frozen in that era, the people's praise for Ocelotus might have remained forever as the "wise king." However, when the two princes of Lothric explicitly refused to inherit the mission of linking the fire, and Ocelotus, who deeply loved his children, began to delve into the forbidden research left behind by the white dragon Seath, the trajectory of fate quietly took a turn.

Knowledge has always been accompanied by curses.

In Dark Souls, where even the name of the world is steeped in darkness, recklessly venturing into wisdom beyond one's own comprehension is a series of mad gambles. From Heath, who transformed himself into an immortal white dragon, to Logan, lost in the Crystal Labyrinth, and Orbeck, ultimately consumed by magic... throughout history, countless brilliant minds have lost themselves in the abyss of forbidden knowledge. Even Ocelotius, who ruled a nation, could not escape this extremely dangerous cycle.

Perhaps, precisely because of their exceptional talent and intelligence, researchers are more likely to fall into the labyrinth of knowledge even more quickly. When that "wise king" confidently began to conduct those forbidden dragonification experiments, it ultimately triggered disaster, turning the once magnificent palace courtyards into a dark and breeding hell—

The infamous title of "Demon King" became the final footnote that history wrote for him.

……

"Oh, foolish multitude, will you eventually discover the power of my beloved son Oselot, the son of the dragon...?"

"Yet, my son is everything to me..."

Surprisingly, despite having spent countless years alone in darkness, Ocelotus miraculously retained the ability to speak. Although his pronunciation was unclear, as if each syllable was struggling against some invisible resistance, the fact that he could still respond to questions from the outside world at least proved that his mind had not completely succumbed to the abyss of blind madness.

...However, tragically, what he uttered was less an answer to Yang Yun's question and an admission of his identity, and more like the fragmented babbling of the lost in a mental hospital. The words, though retaining the form of language, had long lost the essence of communication, leaving only the echoes of madness in the empty hall.

"As expected... we still can't communicate normally."

Yang Yun's gaze slowly shifted to Ocelot's right hand, which was tightly guarding his chest—there, in Ocelot's arms, lay an infant, frozen in crystal, clearly lifeless.

Having heard this story from the Twin Princes, Yang Yun naturally understood that this was the "Dragon's Son," Ocelot, whom Ocelot had been so fond of.

Despite being called the "Son of the Dragon," this infant is essentially an artificial life form created by Ocelotius through a forbidden experiment left behind by the White Dragon Seath, by fusing human and dragon bloodlines. Its existence is fundamentally no different from the Crystal Guardians roaming the Duke's Archives in Dark Souls 1.

Therefore, this so-called Dragon Child was destined from the beginning to be unable to be born as a complete life, and was even dead from the moment of its "birth". As for its subsequent sealing in the crystal, it was just Ocelotros's dying struggle because he could not accept the cruel reality...

"I understand your obsession, but it's time to wake up from this dream."

Yang Yun's sigh echoed softly in the empty hall, his voice tinged with rare pity. He gazed at the eternally sealed crystal in the Demon King's arms, his eyes seemingly piercing through time to see the stubborn king of yesteryear: "Perhaps, you could hand it over to me, so I can try to avert this seemingly irreversible tragedy?" "Not to boast, but I have indeed just healed your two sons..."

"Shut up! You thief who covets my beloved son!"

Though already driven to madness, the words "Give him to me" acted like a key, instantly unlocking the deepest fear and rage within Ocelothos. The half-human, half-dragon monster let out a deafening roar, its withered right hand violently grasping the weapon beside it—a weapon more like a scepter than a staff.

The next moment, time and space seemed to be compressed.

The demon king's figure traversed spatial distances in an instant, his decaying royal robes fluttering wildly with the speed. The scepter burst forth with a ghostly blue magical light the moment it was swung down, and countless sharp crystals sprang forth from the staff like living creatures, instantly transforming into a ferocious and terrifying magical spiked club.

The air emitted a shrill shriek, and even light was distorted wherever the crystal spiked club passed. Although Ocelotus used a warrior-like ferocity, he did not forget his instincts as a spellcaster.

This strike not only contained the power of a dragon, but also embodied the former king's understanding of the essence of magic. In both speed and power, it was in no way inferior to the previous dragon-hunting armor. Even before the staff arrived, a fierce gust of wind already swept towards him; if it were to strike, it would surely smash his head into his chest.

"—Next time you want to launch a sneak attack, remember not to give any advance notice, and don't shout so loudly."

Surprisingly, Yang Yun's voice arrived first, reaching the Demon King's ears before the attack even began!

The attack was completed in a fraction of a second. This strike far exceeded the speed of sound, so much so that Ocelot's distorted face didn't even have time to show surprise before blood gushed from his seven orifices. His bulging eyes reflected the figure that had remained standing motionless. Even more terrifying, the force of the punch had penetrated his entire body, leaving a clear fist-shaped dent even in his incredibly hard, truly dragon-like bones and spine!

"boom!"

The sonic boom arrived belatedly as the towering, half-human, half-dragon figure was blasted straight away. Ocelotius crashed through three stone pillars like a kite with a broken string, finally slamming heavily into a distant wall.

Debris rained down, burying the demon king halfway in the ruins. The scepter flew from his hand, tracing a desolate arc in the air. The azure crystals, deprived of their magical support, shattered, turning into specks of fluorescent light that dissipated into the air.

"Now that you've mastered the power of the dragon, you shouldn't be so easy to die, right?"

In Ocelot's blurred vision, the figure that looked no different from a dwarf walked up leisurely and stopped in front of him, who was unable to move due to severe injuries: "Are you awake now, Demon King Ocelot?"

"Or perhaps you prefer to be called by another name, the one you used back in Anor Londo..."

"Vulcan, Fran?" (End of Chapter)