Atlas stepped out of the teleportation portal and immediately found himself on a wide stretch of land.

Mountains lined the distant horizon, calm sunlight washed over the area, and soft grass spread underfoot. There were flower beds and vegetable gardens everywhere, and more than that, people who looked like they were happily enjoying their vacation.

Edrik followed him out of the portal and moved to Atlas’s left, staring at the same scene in front of them.

"They’re playing soccer," Atlas said after a moment. Still, something about it felt strange.

There was one person running frantically after the ball, yet never managing to touch it. The others kept kicking the ball to one another, not trying to score a goal, but clearly trying to make sure this one person never got it.

"They’re playing with Dullorak’s head," Edrik said flatly.

Atlas sighed. The panicked person really was headless, and it was obvious that Dullorak’s head had once again become everyone else’s favorite toy.

If Dullorak were reduced to pure statistics, he was probably only normal about 20 percent of the time, with a head that was wise or at least tolerable.

The rest of the time, his heads came with wildly strange personalities. Sometimes it was a creepy vampire, sometimes a loud demon that nearly screamed nonstop. Other times, it looked like a complete psychopath, or even a shameless pervert.

"Give my head back, friends, please...," Dullorak shouted, his voice wobbling with panic. "I am asking very nicely here. Proper manners. Calm tone. No yelling. See? I am being polite. Now kindly stop kicking my head around like it is part of the game and return it to me before I trip over my own body again."

The others only laughed at him.

Atlas let out another sigh just as Elyndra appeared on his right. He turned to her. "Come on, I miss Vienne and Cael."

The girl nodded when Atlas took her hand, and together they walked away from the strange soccer game involving a head.

Atlas finally had a bit of time. Maybe he could rest for a while. Two hours might be enough. There were many things he needed to do soon, and he truly had to keep up with all of them.

Seriously though, even though Atlas had many elite subordinates covering most of the important matters in Gacha Haven, the size of the island kept growing at a frightening pace. It continued to expand, becoming larger and larger.

An island that was once nothing more than empty sand, with absolutely nothing on it. Now... a floating island was no longer visible at a glance, even if someone stood on top of it.

The island was surrounded by layers of highland terrain. Mountains and tall, jagged landscapes rose like natural walls, acting as a protective barrier. They kept the wind from blowing too strongly and provided a natural defense for everything within.

The island was truly well maintained. Dense forest areas filled with many kinds of trees looked almost indistinguishable from a natural forest. There were also lakes and rivers, flowing and spreading across the entire island.

In addition, there were farming areas with various vegetables and fruits, enough to support the needs of the island’s residents without anyone having to complain about food shortages.

The structures on the island were arranged with great care. Residential areas for the inhabitants were placed neatly in organized clusters. The areas belonging to the elite subordinates were separated, each designed according to their own preferences for where and how they wanted to live.

At the center stood the main fortress, which functioned as the safest place on the island. It was equipped with a protective barrier that activated automatically during war, and it could even fire laser cannons with terrifying damage when necessary.

The architectural design across the island was streamlined and orderly, with similar shapes and color schemes. There were also workers, now numbering more than three hundred people.

Atlas never imagined that even the number of workers would reach such a figure. With how vast everything had become and how much needed to be managed, not only on the main island but also on the second island, it was honestly overwhelming.

Even so... something this grand and massive did not feel like it could last forever. At any time, every week, every lord battle season, they would have to fight, placing their lives on the line to ensure that this island and kingdom could survive and continue to grow.

**

Atlas sat in the garden area near the lunch space, where many people occupied their own tables. They looked relaxed, chatting and joking while enjoying their meals. The atmosphere was warm and lively, the kind that made time slow down a little.

Elyndra sat beside Atlas, calm and composed as always. Cael, meanwhile, was sitting on top of a table, giggling as Mira gently pulled at him and teased him right in front of everyone. Vienne sat with Lyrassa, who was patiently helping her eat and choose fruits for her plate.

"I, I do not like this, I want meat," Vienne complained. "I do not like vegetables, they taste bad. I want meat. Raw meat. I want raw meat..."

She continued to complain and throw a small tantrum, making the servant holding the food look absolutely terrified. The little princess was clearly in a very bad mood.

Lyrassa, on the other hand, kept trying to gently convince her that vegetables and fruits were good for her body, speaking softly and carefully, as if negotiating with a tiny but dangerous ruler.

"Does Vienne even eat fruit?" Atlas muttered quietly.

Hearing that, Lyrassa turned toward Atlas and let out a small sigh, smiling politely. "Of course Vienne should eat fruits and vegetables, my lord," she said, as if emphasizing the obvious. After all, Morganna, her mother, ate whatever she wanted. More importantly, Vienne was not a pure vampire.

Hearing this only made Atlas feel even more like a failure as a father.

"Should I spend more time taking care of them and raising them properly?" he said to himself, staring at the chaotic lunch scene like it was a battlefield he somehow forgot to prepare for.