Echoes of Toda
'First... let's search the current situation.'
Snapping out of her reverie, Seoya began scanning the other articles. Forget the magic stones for now—the urgent priority was the safety of her guildmates. She needed to confirm if the odds of hunters emerging with their sanity intact were truly that low, and if so, figure out how she could help them.
"S-Rank Dungeon Entrants... Slim Chance of Emerging Unscathed?"
This article was a bit more substantial than the last. The headline was clickbait, but it argued that given the mental drain, it was unlikely all hunters would come out unscathed.
'What about unnie and oppa?'
As Seoya slowly scrolled down, she spotted a familiar name in the article.
"Hunters with high mental fortitude naturally have a greater chance of exiting the dungeon intact. Among current System achievements, the one granting the most mental strength as a reward is known as the 'White Brooch' achievement. In other words, hunters like Go Heejae, Na Seonghyeon, Kim Iri, Baek Yena, Gwak Mansu, Ji Sein, and So Eunsu—who've achieved the White Brooch and thus boast superior mental stats—are highly likely to maintain their sanity and emerge."
'What's this White Brooch achievement?'
Returning to the search bar, Seoya typed in White Brooch achievement.
'Achievements are part of the System, huh.'
Certain actions triggered achievements, and completing them granted System rewards—HP, MP, mental strength, whatever. Major stat boosts were impossible through personal effort alone; only System rewards made it feasible. And among known achievements, the White Brooch gave the highest mental strength boost.
It was an achievement unlocked if your first ranking upon awakening as a hunter placed you in the domestic top 10.
"Hold on."
Seoya's instincts were screaming.
Something's off. Something's wrong.
Figure out what, her gut demanded.
Seoya slowly typed White Brooch into the search bar. Results showed white brooch shopping links or references to that achievement—nothing else.
This time, she searched Even a stone bridge needs testing before crossing. A proverb she'd recently learned.
Dictionaries helpfully explained its meaning.
Now it was clear.
"There's no way this world has an idiom called 'White Brooch.'"
White Brooch was an idiom from Seoya's world, Toda. When a new pioneer awakened, they wore a yellow brooch during headquarters training to mark them as novices—weak and inexperienced, needing extra care in emergencies.
But sometimes, rookies were monsters who shrugged off experience gaps. Seoya was one; before her, Ibin had been. To signal their overwhelming strength despite being new, they wore a white brooch instead.
In Seoya's world, White Brooch meant "rookie but ridiculously strong"—a kind of idiom.
Given the search results and the origin of the phrase in her world, there was no way this world should have it.
"This is seriously weird."
People here probably just took it literally as a white brooch. No custom of pinning them on powerhouse newbies.
But an achievement called 'White Brooch' for hunters hitting top 10 on first ranking? That's basically calling strong rookies by that term.
"Rookie but insanely strong."
She couldn't ignore these anomalies anymore.
Rising slowly from her laptop, Seoya began piecing together the suspicious bits she'd noted before.
The term "hunters"—a metaphorical name for pioneers in her world. Magic stones that shouldn't exist here but did. Toda's idiom White Brooch.
"Weird. All of it, so weird."
Now she had to uncover these mysteries. And rescue her guildmates.
She'd promised not to leave the house, but what could she do? Exceptions existed. Ibin, who'd drilled promises into her, had betrayed her—so maybe Seoya could break one?
Decision made. Seoya would head to the dungeon.
"Kid, you sure you're getting off here?"
"Yeah."
Seoya took her card back from the puzzled taxi driver and stepped out.
That's the Yeongdeungpo District dungeon.
A massive blue gate hovering in the air. Police blocking the road with yellow tape. A few reporters shoving cameras forward.
This was the closest dungeon to home—the one Neverending Guild had entered.
Seoya planned to check inside with her own eyes.
Everything's too suspicious.
This System was bizarre. She didn't know exactly how to expose its truth, but she'd dissect it piece by piece starting with the dungeon—and save people along the way.
This should do it, right?
Seoya pulled on the face-obscuring cloak she'd tucked under her arm. Why'd they give her useless junk like this? Never thought she'd need it.
With this, no one would recognize her—no suspicion, no trouble for unnie and the others.
So she thought.
Cloaked, Seoya approached the dungeon slowly. The closer she got, the stranger the feeling.
Felt something like this during the monster wave.
Not quite the monster-presence vibe, but that alien-yet-familiar air she'd sensed before. No—stronger this time.
Seoya checked her reflection in a nearby building's glass.
Park Haejun's face-obscuring cloak was stark white, edged in gold thread. Her white coat for the cold blended seamlessly, like one garment. Together, the excessive whiteness felt a tad overwhelming. The face area blurred like fog, giving an ethereal, dreamlike aura.
A bit awkward, but no one'll know it's me.
Generous fit let her button the coat tight and cinch the cloak—no body shape clues.
She tucked her otherworldly navy hair inside to hide it.
Now, the reflection showed only a short figure—gender, age, build, face: impossible to guess.
Ready to enter the dungeon.