Chapter 155: The Newbie Showdown

Episode 155

As Kim Jinsung looked puzzled at the mention of a “newbie showdown,” Ricardo and Rodrigo were wrapping up their conversation.

“I’ll send a message to the team leaders’ group chat. Tell them we’re ready for the newbie showdown.”

“Alright. Let me know when it’s confirmed.”

“Will do. See you later!”

“Yes, sir.”

Ricardo closed the window and started driving again.

He seemed to notice Kim Jinsung’s curious gaze and started explaining without being asked.

“It’s one of our Triunfo Clan traditions. When a new member joins each team, we gather them and have them compete to determine their ranking.”

‘Another competition?’

Kim Jinsung barely managed to suppress his frown.

He was sick and tired of forced competitions, from the Fight Club to the Colosseum.

“I’ll explain the details later. That’s not what’s important right now.”

Ricardo continued, gesturing towards the front.

“This is our headquarters.”

Kim Jinsung looked ahead.

The Triunfo Clan headquarters, surrounded by high walls, was vast, seemingly endless.

‘Are all the buildings inside part of Triunfo?’

Countless buildings stood inside the main gate.

Each building bore the Triunfo Clan emblem.

“ID card, please… Ah, Team Leader Ricardo!”

The guards standing on either side of the main gate immediately saluted Ricardo respectfully.

Ricardo nodded slightly and asked, looking inside the gate,

“Is there an event today?”

He gestured towards the outdoor training ground where hundreds of men were lined up.

The guard replied,

“It’s the first preliminary test for new recruits today.”

“Ah, that’s today. Alright, good work.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ricardo drove through the slowly opening iron gate.

As they passed by the training ground bustling with strong men, he said,

“They’re all hunters who came here to join our Triunfo Clan.”

He continued, addressing Kim Jinsung, who was looking at the training ground,

“We have three preliminary tests and one final test for selecting new clan members. Then we announce the successful candidates after a final interview.”

“……”

“The whole process takes three months. And even after passing, they have to go through a six-month probationary period before becoming official clan members.”

“…That’s quite a long time.”

“That’s the bare minimum to join the Triunfo Clan. Do you think this is some random clan like Boko Haram?”

He replied matter-of-factly and looked at Kim Jinsung.

“You’re lucky. Those who are directly recruited by a team leader become official clan members immediately without any probationary period.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Kim Jinsung replied respectfully and thought to himself,

‘I’m glad I joined the Triunfo Clan this way.’

If he had to waste three months like those gathered on the training ground, he wouldn’t have joined the Triunfo Clan.

It would be much more beneficial to spend that time growing stronger by eliminating subcontracted clans.

‘I expected it to be easier to join through connections, but it’s even easier than I thought.’

As he was thinking, he felt the car slowly coming to a stop.

They had arrived in front of the tallest building in the area.

Ricardo, gesturing to stop the guard who was about to open the car door for him, rolled down the window and pointed at Kim Jinsung with his chin, saying,

“He’s the new hunter joining Team 6. Please take care of the registration process for him.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You come straight to Team 6’s training ground after you’re done.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kim Jinsung got out of the car, followed the guard, and completed the simple registration process in the lobby. He received a new employee ID card and headed towards Team 6’s training ground.

The receptionist in the lobby had explained that Team 6’s training ground was located quite a distance behind the building where he had registered.

As he arrived at the location, the first thing he saw was a building with the words “6 Equipo” on it.

‘Is this entire building used by Team 6 alone?’

He thought to himself and walked towards the training ground located behind the building.

Inside, numerous hunters in light armor were warming up and chatting in groups.

‘Are those Team 6?’

“You’re here already?”

Ricardo’s voice came from behind him.

He had just come down from the elevator and was looking at Kim Jinsung with surprise.

“You’re registered?”

“Yes, sir. I received my card.”

“Huh… The registration process was completed while I was at the office? Anyway, come here.”

Ricardo led Kim Jinsung into the training ground and clapped his hands.

“Everyone, gather around!”

The hunters inside all gathered in front of them.

Ricardo introduced Kim Jinsung.

“This guy next to me is Alopsky, the new member joining Team 6.”

“Oh~!”

All of Team 6 exclaimed in admiration.

A middle-aged man standing in the center asked Ricardo,

“Is he your pick, Team Leader?”

“That’s right, Aster.”

Team 6 reacted even more enthusiastically to Ricardo’s answer.

“Ooooooh!!” They shouted, their eyes shining with excitement.

As everyone looked at Kim Jinsung with curiosity, Aster, the middle-aged man, said with a surprised expression,

“It’s been over a year since you last handpicked a hunter, hasn’t it, Team Leader?”

“Has it been that long?”

“It’s been exactly one year and two months since Renzo joined.”

“Ah.”

Ricardo’s gaze shifted to a young man standing at the far right.

He was Renzo, whom Ricardo had handpicked last year.

“Considering Renzo’s talent, I guess we can expect great things from your pick this time as well, right?”

Aster asked with a smile, and Ricardo replied,

“You know Jason from Slaughterhouse, right?”

“Of course. How could I not know that hot-headed pig?”

“He defeated him in a duel.”

Everyone’s eyes widened, including Aster’s.

“You mean he defeated Jason in a one-on-one battle?”

“Yes.”

“Wow…!”

“That’s amazing!”

Team 6 started buzzing with excitement. Most of the hunters here had been colleagues with Jason in the past.

So they knew that Jason’s skills were not to be underestimated.

“That’s incredible. I’d love to see his skills right now…”

Aster said, and everyone nodded in agreement.

They all looked at Kim Jinsung with sparkling eyes, when

“Normally, that’s what we would do. It’s customary to have a welcoming ceremony for new members, right?”

“That’s right!”

“But we’ll have to postpone it for a few days.”

“……?”

Ricardo continued, addressing the puzzled Team 6 members,

“We have the newbie showdown first.”

“Ah~!”

Team 6 exclaimed in understanding.

“The team leaders just finished discussing it. We’re meeting soon to decide on the rules for the newbie showdown.”

“Then we have no choice.”

Aster replied on behalf of everyone.

“So… Alopsky’s official welcoming ceremony for Team 6 will be held after the newbie showdown.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Alright, we don’t have much time, so we’ll head to the headquarters building now. You guys keep practicing!”

Ricardo finished speaking and led Kim Jinsung out of the training ground.

“Good luck, newbie!”

“You have to at least make it to the top 5!”

“If you come last or drop out, you’re dead! Don’t even think about coming back here!”

Kim Jinsung walked towards Ricardo’s limousine, parked in front of the Team 6 building, listening to their threats disguised as encouragement.

* * *

A while later,

around 5:30 PM, just before dinner time, about twenty people were sitting in a conference room.

The team leaders and newest members from each of the ten hunter teams of the Triunfo Clan had gathered.

“It’s been a while since we last gathered like this. It feels like over a year…”

Francisco, the leader of Hunter Team 1, a middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table, started the meeting.

“Wasn’t it last time because Team Leader 6 didn’t have a new member?”

“That’s right. And even Renzo, who’s been showing remarkable growth lately, almost wasn’t recruited because you didn’t like him back then.”

Rodrigo, the leader of Hunter Team 5, replied, and Francisco asked playfully,

“Why are you so picky with your recruits? You can be more flexible. I heard Team 6 has the fewest members right now…”

“Hahaha…”

“What exactly are you looking for?”

Francisco asked curiously, and Ricardo answered honestly,

“More than anything, I look for loyalty. Whether they’re willing to dedicate their lives to this organization.”

“Oh~.”

“I’m tired of seeing recruits I’ve worked hard to train betray us and run off to other places.”

“I understand. I feel the same way.”

Francisco agreed vehemently.

Kim Jinsung, listening to their conversation, thought to himself,

‘It seems like my actions of protecting everyone from Jason’s self-destruction earned me a lot of points.’

He recalled Ricardo praising his actions back then.

“Anyway, it’s been a while since the last newbie showdown. As you all know, it’s a pretty big event in our clan. It’s not something we can take lightly.”

All the team leaders nodded in agreement.

The “newbie showdown,” where the newest members handpicked by each team leader competed against each other in a series of battles.

What had started as a competition for pride among the team leaders had now become a small festival-like event that everyone in the clan was passionate about.

“We’re planning to broadcast it live online again this time, just like last time. Didn’t we have over ten thousand viewers last time?”

“Yes. We had over fifteen thousand viewers during the final match between the top two.”

“Right. I heard many hunters applied to Triunfo after watching the broadcast.”

They had changed the policy last year to allow everyone to watch the newbie showdown through online broadcasts.

Francisco, the leader of Hunter Team 1, had been inspired by the “Colosseum Survival” program that was gaining popularity in Korea.

“Since it’s become such a large-scale event, shouldn’t we give the winning team a bigger reward?”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Francisco suggested,

“How about letting the teams choose the subcontracted companies they’ll be in charge of, in the order of their ranking in the newbie showdown?”

“……!”

Everyone’s eyes widened.

—