After taking full control, besides simply stealing the position of administrative manager, another change occurred. The branches of the World Tree in the orchard and the black branches of the garden had swapped places. A major change also occurred in the black branches.

They shed their charred bark and transformed into a pure white, jade-like appearance, lavishly emitting a golden aura. With an earthquake, the body buried deep beneath the garden began to extend all at once toward the surface.

Around that time, the field of the 28th Terrarium, which I had summoned, was also slowly disappearing. The fountain water stopped, and the golden branches faded away.

The battle had abruptly subsided after I drove out the Inferno leader, but now the earthquake threw everyone into panic.

Just as the tree dryads withstood the Mesquite’s earthquake but the flower dryads could not, the shorter dryads staggered.

With the flower dryads so weakened, the people fared even worse. Herma fell with a pained cry amid the sudden earthquake.

The branches of the World Tree brought all their roots, which had burrowed underground, to the surface and shook the ground violently, as if intending to stretch out. Yet strangely, only I remained calm amidst that chaos.

As soon as the earthquake struck, even my dryads, who had hurriedly checked on me for my safety, stared at me with bewildered expressions.

At some point, I was no longer stepping on the ground but on the branches. Moreover, the branches growing from deep within the earth were oddly avoiding the spot where I stood, rising up as if to envelop me protectively.

Even though I don’t have a great sense of balance, I could stay unharmed because the branches, strangely growing as if to act as a safety bar, were supporting me.

It was such a precise position that anyone watching might think I was the villain manipulating the branches to cause the earthquake.

The Alchemy Tower, which had been deeply connected to use the black branches as charcoal for fuel, shook perilously, as if it were about to collapse from the movement.

The direction the alchemy tower was tilting was the side where many people were gathered, so one wrong move could lead to major casualties. I can’t just leave it like that! Startled, I reflexively stretched my arm toward the alchemy tower.

And then something amazing happened. Just like how Dryads’ equipment changes when they level up, a golden pattern appeared from the back of my outstretched hand all the way up to my forearm. It felt like I was wearing gloves made purely of light, without any physical form.

When the elegant vine pattern emitted a golden glow, the branches of the World Tree that had burst out of the ground in resonance also radiated a deep golden light. At the same time, the branches stretched out toward the direction I was pointing.

The branches twisted like vines and, as if following my will, coiled tightly around the alchemy tower from its base to its peak. With the support in place, the alchemy tower escaped the verge of collapse.

I really felt like I was controlling the branches of the World Tree. So, just in case, I reached my hand toward the branches still struggling to break free from deep underground. When I turned my palm downward as if pressing down, the earthquake stopped as if by magic.

“Wow… This is…”

Can I try it one more time? As I raised my hand toward Papillion, who had lost his leader, thinner branches shot out, isolating him from the Dryads and trapping him like a cage. I feel like a wizard. This is freaking awesome…

Just as Daisy freely manipulated the vines spouting from her wrist, I too was now controlling the branches of the World Tree with nothing but my will.

The golden pattern that had appeared on my left arm, where the terrarium artifact was embedded, floated slowly around my arm even after I took off the glove and rolled up my sleeve. As I watched in awe, the pattern gradually sank down and settled onto my skin like a tattoo.

The tattoo, in the shape of a leafless white branch sitting alienly on my bare skin, shimmered mysteriously in gold where the light hit it. When I decided to control the branches of the World Tree, the tattoo turned back into light and lifted off my skin.

I never thought that the one who visited me in my dreams, begged for help, drove me to the brink of collapse, and even plundered far more diamonds than what the Inferno organization, including Papillion, had fed for years, would end up moving at my beck and call like some well-trained pet.

And instinctually, I realized it. This was the ‘Gardening Skill’ I could use by becoming an Administrative Officer.

The Gardening Skill that Scarecrow, a former Administrative Officer, used to bind the souls of Dryads to the branches of the World Tree so they could move without issues even without a master, and the same skill that allowed Papillion to create Dryads’ unique artifacts within the terrarium.

If Earning had seen this alive, she would have been surprised. They said even the great Scarecrow realized it in an instant without any teaching, and I too followed that path.

Suddenly, the thought of Earning, who had died, made me feel unsettled. Her body was hanging like a rag on a branch that had sprouted from the ground. I couldn’t just leave her like that. If things were settled, I decided I should give her a proper burial, no matter how bad our relationship had been. After all, regardless of her feelings, the fact remained that she had exchanged her life for mine.

What instantly cleared my unsettled mind was the continuous ringing of alarms from my phone.

With the high trust of the World Tree, your soul deeply resonates with the blessing of the World Tree’s branch.

The energy of blessing toward the exclusive Terrarium guild [Gaia] grows even stronger.

The World Tree branch bound to your soul activates the [Entwined Branches] effect.

Within the range connected by the 28th World Tree branch and the 16th World Tree branch, the [Gaia] guild can fully exert all the power of its blessings.

Within the range connected by the 28th World Tree branch and the 16th World Tree branch, your dryad can move freely without being limited by distance from the druid.

All dryads in the World Tree have begun to sense the presence of your soul.

Guild traits: Growth Acceleration, Sturdy Roots, Moving Roots (16, 28)

What is this? Anyway, I could tell I was gaining tremendous benefits. And under exceptionally advantageous conditions. It felt like such an enormous privilege that I even hesitated whether I should tell anyone about it.

It felt as if by obtaining two terrariums, I had unlocked a hidden trait.

By the way, I never thought the World Tree’s branches could also exert the power of entwined branches that dryads of the same species can use.

What does the connected range of the two branches mean? Does it refer to a path going back and forth between terrariums? If so, does that mean I can still receive all the blessings from within the terrariums even outside of them?

Is this really… a benefit I’m allowed to enjoy? Is there anyone else besides me who has obtained two terrariums?

“Is there… any administrative manager who manages more than one terrarium?”

Guild members who had been approaching me to demand an explanation, perhaps having belatedly realized that I was the cause of the series of strange events, stopped upon hearing my words.

“Uh… no? Becoming the administrative manager of even one terrarium is a huge achievement, and maintaining one is already difficult… As far as I know, there isn’t.”

Zephyr reflexively answered my question. And Iris, who seemed to have realized something from my question, let out a short scream and repeatedly hit Zephyr’s shoulder. Though her body was smaller than Zephyr’s, her power, honed on the battlefield, was far from weak. Whenever Zephyr was struck by Iris, he let out a groan and hastily twisted his body away.

“Jae, what’s the intent behind that question… Is it what I’m thinking?”

“What is it?”

“You don’t get it even after hearing that? Isn’t it obvious from the sudden disappearance of that crazy guy, the bizarre behavior of those World Tree branches, and the fact that that blonde former administrator, who should be powerful, is lying low without using his strength? It all boils down to one explanation!”

After Iris’s scolding, Zephyr, who had been pondering, let out a short scream just like Iris. But he didn’t make the mistake of patting her shoulder.

“Master… Could it be that you’ve become the administrator of this 16th Terrarium?”

“Hmm… temporarily, though.”

“Can someone just become an administrator that easily?”

“Probably not, right? Even so, I heard the Central Administration Department of the 1st Terrarium will be visiting soon.”

If you have an infinite diamond as a prerequisite… maybe it’s possible. Wow, as expected, no one besides me has taken over two Terrariums.

The privileges you get as an administrator or the gardening skills you can use are already amazing, but the benefits from having two intertwined are truly incredible. I bet no one else knows about this perk, right?

“Th-then that means… an administrator of two Terrariums actually….”

“Are we sure we’re not serving a master way too overwhelming for us to handle…?”

Herma, who had been calmly listening to Zephyr’s barrage of questions, spoke with an awkward expression. At that, Iris immediately shouted.

“Do you think you can just find a guild that manages two Terrariums to join anywhere? This is an incredible stroke of luck! Master Jae, does that mean we’ll be the exclusive guild members for both the 28th and 16th Terrariums?”

“Wow… I never thought of it that way! It’s already amazing that we have an Ironbeast in our guild, but now we’re the exclusive guild for two Terrariums?”

Hmm… I hadn’t considered that. Even if the World Tree branches have an intertwining effect, I’m not sure if the two Terrariums will remain separate or be perceived as one. Besides, I’m still only a half-baked temporary administrator who can’t fully exercise all rights in the 16th Terrarium.

They, who had been marveling at the news of becoming the administrator of two Terrariums, belatedly noticed Earning.

Believing the battle had been casualty-free, they were curious about the sudden death of Earning in the rear. I didn’t tell them that Earning gave up their life for me. I just said they got caught up in the chaos.

Still, they all seemed to fully recognize that the hard-to-control long-range attacks could have targeted me.

“Still, I’m glad you’re safe.”

“It’s too soon to celebrate.”

Papillion, trapped inside the cage made by the World Tree branches, spoke to them in a reproachful tone.

Ah, I forgot he was still here. In the midst of the chaos, I prioritized driving out the Inferno leader and forgot about him. As I was pondering his fate, he blurted out.

“Spare me.”