CHAPTER 66: CH 66: PARTNERSHIP - PART 1

Fenrir lounged on the plush leather couch in his living room, a cup of chilled tea in one hand and his tablet in the other.

The day had been long, and he was finally getting time to sit down and review the preliminary plans for his upcoming S-class dungeon raid.

The goal was to acquire a rare and notoriously difficult ingredient— Leech’s Bloom —essential for the rejuvenating potion he had been preparing for.

His mind was already moving through strategies and lists: team composition, escape routes, potion requirements.

He was so absorbed that the sound of his phone pinging pulled him out of his thoughts with an irritated sigh.

It was a message from Fredric.

[It’s time.]

Fenrir blinked, staring at the screen for a moment. Then he slowly placed the tablet down, realizing exactly what his brother meant.

Ten minutes later, the world changed.

A statement dropped online—cold, brief, and explosive.

[Legion Corp is proud to announce a formal partnership and affiliation with Mr. ’X’—the creator of the most revolutionary potion line the world has seen. His products will now be released exclusively under our supervision.]

That one message from Legion, one of the top three companies in the world, instantly fractured the internet.

Within seconds, comment sections exploded.

[What do they mean affiliation?]

[Mr. ’X’ is real???]

[Does this mean we’ll get his potions in stores??]

[EXCUSE ME I NEED TO SIT DOWN.]

Some scrolled in disbelief.

Others screamed into the void. Every social media platform was buried in the storm of reactions. Hashtags began trending globally—#WhoIsMrX, #LegionDeal, #PotionRevolution.

News anchors scrambled onto live channels, many of them clearly unprepared but doing their best to keep up with the sudden announcement.

Screens displayed graphs showing market predictions and discussions speculating how this would shift the balance of power in the hunter world.

And then, Fenrir made his move.

On his verified seller account, which up until now had only posted potion listings and auction updates, a new comment appeared under Legion’s official announcement.

[Yes, the affiliation is true. The decision was made for both professional and personal reasons. —Mr. ’X’]

If the internet had exploded before, now it went nuclear.

[WHAT DO YOU MEAN PERSONAL?]

[Are they blackmailing you or are you dating one of them???]

[Personal?! What is that supposed to mean???

[DOES THIS MEAN THE POTIONS WILL BE MASS PRODUCED?]

But no further clarification came. Fenrir closed his phone and leaned back into the couch, letting the noise build outside while he rested inside the eye of the storm.

Then came the second announcement from Legion’s PR Department:

[Mr. ’X’ is now under Legion’s official protection. Any individual or organization attempting to harm or threaten him will be considered hostile and treated accordingly. This includes any cyberattacks, identity leaks, or attempts to interfere with his operations.]

That shut people up.

Legion wasn’t just rich or famous. They held power—political, economic, and above all, combative.

They had the strongest hunters in the world under their banner, including Kevin Jenner, the undefeated Rank #1, and Louise Garter, the unstoppable Rank #2.

No one in their right mind would mess with Legion.

And by extension, no one would mess with Mr. ’X’.

Suddenly, the public realized they hadn’t understood the scope of what was happening.

They had thought Mr. ’X’ was just some eccentric, reclusive genius selling expensive potions online.

But now, they knew better.

This wasn’t a small-time seller.

This was someone Legion—LEGION—was willing to stake their entire reputation on. Someone important enough that even top-ranked hunters might be answering to him now.

Inside his silent home, Fenrir swirled the last of the tea in his cup, the corners of his mouth lifting ever so slightly.

Everything was moving as expected.

He didn’t care much about fame, but influence... influence was necessary.

With Legion backing him openly, he wouldn’t need to waste time warding off parasites and opportunists. Now, even the most aggressive factions would think twice before targeting him.

His world was shifting, and he was ready for it.

Because the tower was coming.

And when it rose, he intended to stand at the top.

______

Rick stood by the massive glass window of the top floor office, tablet in hand and expression unreadable.

The city sprawled below like a circuit board, alive with traffic and pulsing light. But Rick’s eyes were fixed on the screen.

"Our stock prices are going through the roof. The moment the announcement dropped, Legion’s market value jumped fifteen percent in the first ten minutes. And it hasn’t stopped climbing since."

He said crisply.

Fredric Black, the older of the two Black brothers and the current CEO of Legion Corp, sat behind his polished oak desk, swirling a glass of ice water with slow, deliberate motions.

"All thanks to one anonymous potion maker. The world moves fast when they smell power."

Fredric said with a small smirk.

Rick nodded but his brows were slightly furrowed.

"That’s the thing. We’re getting too much attention. Dozens of top-ranking guilds and companies are calling in, demanding personal commissions from Mr. ’X’. Some are even offering eight figures just to get a private order fulfilled."

Fredric’s smile didn’t waver.

"Of course they are. It was inevitable."

"Worse. Some are starting to ask for his identity. Bribing staff, making deals with the press. One man even said he’d pay half his estate to find out who Mr. ’X’ really is."

Rick continued,

Fredric’s expression sharpened.

"Make sure that doesn’t happen. I want my brother’s identity protected at all costs. He’ll reveal himself when he decides the timing is right. Not before."

Rick gave a tight nod.

"Understood. I’ve already activated extra surveillance protocols and put tracking flags on internal communications. If anyone leaks so much as a syllable, I’ll know."

Before Fredric could respond, Rick’s head tilted, eyes narrowing as he focused beyond the present.

"I’m picking up something...Two... no, one... two extremely strong mana signatures approaching fast. They’ll be here in a few seconds."

He muttered, voice low.

Fredric calmly stood and set his glass down.

"Company?"

Rick was already stepping toward the door.

"Brace yourself."

A moment later, the elevator chimed—and the doors burst open with enough pressure to ruffle the documents on Fredric’s desk.

In strode Louise Garter, the second-ranked hunter in the world, clad in her signature crimson coat, eyes gleaming with irritation and curiosity.

Behind her, as silent as a shadow, came Kevin Jenner, the unshakable rank #1, whose calm gaze swept the room like a hawk.

"Fredric, Why didn’t you tell us you were working with Mr. ’X’? And when were you planning on introducing us to him?"

Louise began without preamble, she added with narrowed eyes,

Fredric chuckled under his breath and gestured toward the seats across from his desk."You’ve already met him."

Louise blinked, then crossed her arms.

"That’s not helpful. Kevin and I know tons of people. You’ll need to be more specific."

Beside her, Kevin remained quiet, though his brow twitched—ever so slightly. It was the most emotion he ever showed.

Fredric leaned forward, clasping his hands together.

"I’m telling you both because I respect you. But I won’t say more than this—you already know Mr. ’X’. Quite well, actually. When the time comes, you’ll understand."

Louise groaned.

"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"

"A little."

Fredric admitted with a smug smile.

"But come on. We’re part of the inner circle. You have to give us more than that. Can’t you at least hint at what he looks like?"

She pressed.

Rick stepped in then, tone cool and polite.

"Louise, with all due respect, if you were told now, and the information leaked, even unintentionally, Mr. ’X’ would become a target for every greedy hand in the world. He’s more valuable hidden—for now."

Kevin finally spoke, his voice deep and smooth.

"If he wants to stay hidden, we’ll respect that. You should too, Louise."

Louise shot him a dry look.

"Easy for you to say. You’re not dying to get a custom stamina regeneration potion."

Fredric stood again, smoothing down his suit jacket.

"I’ll make sure both of you get access to more of his potions. But in return, I need your patience and your silence. Mr. ’X’ will reveal himself when he feels safe enough to do so. Until then, I expect you both to act with discretion."

Louise gave a long, theatrical sigh.

"Fine. I won’t pry. But when I do find out who he is, he better be ready for a long list of potion requests."

Fredric smiled thinly.

"He’s more prepared than you think."

And with that, the meeting shifted.

The storm of questions faded, replaced by quiet understanding.

Mr. ’X’—Fenrir Black—had just stepped onto the global stage. And the world was already beginning to move around him.