The newborn dragon blinked twice.

Then, in a clear and youthful voice, it answered without hesitation.

"My name is Vormir."

Silence fell instantly.

Max’s clone froze.

His hand remained suspended in midair as he stared at the tiny dragon in utter disbelief.

"You... can talk?"

The shock that hit him was genuine.

He had expected the hatchling to chirp, roar, or perhaps communicate through instinctive feelings. Never had he imagined that a creature born only moments ago would casually speak perfect words.

Even more unbelievable was the second part.

It already had a name.

Not a name given by others.

Its own name.

Max’s clone felt truly shaken.

"What kind of race hatches already knowing how to speak and introducing themselves?" he muttered.

The little dragon, Vormir, puffed out his chest proudly as though the reaction was entirely appropriate.

Tian then stepped forward with his usual calm demeanor.

"There is no need to be so surprised," he said. "Dragons are among the oldest races in existence. Their origins trace back to ages when many current bloodlines had not yet been born."

He looked at the hatchling with rare respect.

"Unlike ordinary creatures, true dragons inherit ancient knowledge through their bloodline. The moment they hatch, many instincts are already awakened. Speech is natural to them, and so is the awareness of their own names."

Max’s clone frowned in amazement. "They are born knowing their names?"

Tian nodded.

"A dragon’s name is not chosen randomly. It is tied to lineage, soul resonance, and blood memory. In a sense, the name awakens together with the dragon."

Max looked at Vormir with renewed curiosity.

"That sounds unfair," he said softly. "Some children learn to speak after years, and he came out of the egg already introducing himself."

Blob bounced in agreement.

"And flying too!"

Vormir gave a smug little snort, clearly pleased by the attention.

Then he leaped from Max’s clone’s shoulder, flapped his wings, and began circling everyone again as if showing off even harder now that his greatness had been acknowledged.

Max’s clone stared upward before laughing helplessly.

"So not only can you talk..."

He shook his head.

"You are arrogant from birth as well."

The little dragon roared proudly in response, though the sound came out more adorable than fearsome.

Max smiled when he witnessed everything through the shared perception of his clone.

Watching the little dragon boast, fly in circles, and treat the entire Dimension of Spirit as though it already belonged to him brought genuine amusement to Max. Even from far away, the hatchling’s lively nature was impossible to ignore.

Then an idea suddenly came to him.

With a thought, he opened a connection to the Dimension of Spirit and summoned the little dragon to his side.

A flash of light appeared in the skies above Dragon Death Valley.

The next moment, Vormir emerged in midair, flapping his tiny wings wildly in surprise as he struggled to steady himself.

He looked around in confusion.

The familiar surroundings of the Dimension of Spirit had vanished. Lily, Blob, Tian, and the others were nowhere to be seen. In their place was an endless sky, violent winds, and the vast lands of Orion spread far below.

Then his gaze shifted.

And froze.

Beside him hovered an enormous black dragon whose body stretched like a moving mountain through the heavens. Scales darker than night covered its colossal form. Vast wings stirred storms with every motion. Golden-black eyes shone with sovereign majesty.

Vormir’s little mouth fell open.

Then excitement exploded across his face.

"Big Brother Max!" he cried in his youthful voice. "Are you also a dragon?!"

Without the slightest fear, the hatchling immediately began circling around Max’s gigantic dragon body, inspecting him from every angle with amazement.

He flew past the great horns, around the massive wings, under the long neck, and around the tail, letting out impressed little sounds the entire time.

Max was briefly surprised.

Even in this form, Vormir had recognized him instantly.

Yet after remembering how mysterious true dragons were, that surprise quickly faded.

"Hehe," Max chuckled deeply, the sound rumbling like distant thunder. "I am still human, but I have the ability to transform into a dragon as well."

Vormir stopped midair and nodded with extreme seriousness.

"Oh, that must be wonderful," he said proudly. "A very honorable moment for you."

Max stared for a second before bursting into laughter.

Even newly hatched, this little dragon carried overwhelming pride in his race.

To Vormir, becoming a dragon was clearly the highest blessing imaginable.

"You really think highly of dragons, don’t you?" Max said with amusement.

Vormir puffed out his tiny chest.

"As I should."

Max laughed again.

Then he lifted his gaze toward the distance where a towering mountain rose above the surrounding lands, its peak piercing through clouds.

"Do you see that mountain far away?" he asked.

Vormir turned immediately and focused ahead.

After spotting it, he nodded eagerly. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"I see it!"

Max’s eyes gleamed.

"Then let us race there and see who arrives first."

The moment he finished speaking, his colossal wings spread wide.

A raging wind burst outward as Max shot forward like a black comet, tearing through the skies with terrifying speed.

For a second, Vormir was stunned.

Then he shouted indignantly.

"Big Brother Max, you are cheating!"

The little dragon flapped his tiny wings with all his might and chased after him at full speed.

Though his body was small, his natural talent as a true dragon was extraordinary. He darted through the air like a streak of black light, weaving through the winds created by Max’s passage.

What followed was a ridiculous sight.

One was a majestic colossal black dragon large enough to shake worlds.

The other was a tiny hatchling roaring angrily while chasing after him with desperate determination.

Max occasionally slowed just enough to let Vormir get close before surging ahead again, causing the little dragon to shout in protest every single time.

"That does not count!"

"You started early!"

"You are using big dragon wings!"

Max laughed so hard he nearly lost altitude.

Soon, the skies of Orion were filled with the sight of the two dragons racing toward the distant mountain, one mighty and ancient-looking, the other tiny, furious, and absolutely determined not to lose.