Strongest Maniac: Born in an Asylum

In the hospital room, Leo calmly watched as Leon was wheeled away for emergency treatment. He couldn't understand why the man was so agitated just by seeing him.

So agitated, in fact, that he couldn't even speak.

It was a mystery.

He glanced at Walter and then at the one-eyed man.

They were still unconscious.

With nothing else to do, he lay quietly on his bed, staring motionless at the ceiling.

A stream of energy flowed within his body. The Qi cultivation method he practiced emphasized a connection with the natural world, a heart as still as water, and a mind free from desire. By sensing the world around him, he could absorb the subtle energy particles from the universe.

The practice also allowed him to digest food with incredible efficiency, refining its nutrients to strengthen his physical form. This was the most basic aspect of Qi cultivation.

Most people could only ever hope to achieve the latter—drawing energy from food to empower themselves. They could never achieve true harmony with nature and draw power directly from the world.

Only Leo could do that.

He was without want or desire, acting with a pure and simple purpose. His mind was simple yet complex, like a single thread wound into a thousand loops, making it impossible for others to grasp his thoughts.

"What happened to me?"

Walter was awake. He stared blankly at the ceiling, his memory of the preceding events a complete fog. What had happened? Why was he here?

"You're awake," Leo observed.

"Yeah, I'm awake. I want a Sprite," Walter said, scratching his head. It felt a little fuzzy, and he thought a fizzy drink would help.

"I want a Coke."

Leo and Walter looked at each other, a shared longing in their eyes. But there were no sodas to be found here.

Their gazes shifted to the one-eyed man.

"He's still sleeping."

"Maybe he's part pig."

The two looked at each other, then broke into a fit of soft giggles.

From the doorway, a nurse watched the two patients and shivered. She couldn't understand what they were saying, but there was something about their smiles that was deeply unsettling. Their laughter, especially, was terrifying.

A short while later, One-Eye regained consciousness. He opened his eyes, his mind instantly on high alert. Where am I? What happened? Why did I suddenly lose consciousness?

It was a frightening thought.

He vaguely remembered it. The other man had stuck a needle in his head.

With his level of power, he could take a gunshot to the head and not even flinch. So how had he ended up like this?

One-Eye glanced to his side and saw Leo and Walter looking back at him, their faces lit with identical smiles. Their gazes were placid, unwavering. They just stared.

Could a tough man like One-Eye admit that their staring sent a shiver down his spine? It was a strange sensation. Their smiles were as bright as the sun, yet they cast a strange, deep chill.

"How did you do it?"

One-Eye asked, enduring their dual gazes. What he wanted to know was how this man had managed to put a powerhouse like him in the hospital with nothing but a silver needle.

If anyone else found out, he'd be a laughingstock. One of Seaside City's strongest individuals, taken down by a mental patient. What a joke.

Leo and Walter maintained their smiles, not answering his question. They just kept staring, their focus intense.

After a long moment, Walter spoke, his voice filled with disappointment. "It was a failure. His eye didn't grow back. But I think I just poked the wrong spot. If I had another chance, I could definitely succeed."

"Mmm, I believe in you," Leo said with a nod.

One-Eye's eyes widened. They want to do it again? Impossible.

But a deep sense of indignation burned within him. He had to know how this was possible.

A nurse tiptoed in to grab something. One-Eye called out to her, asking what had caused him to faint and what the examination had revealed.

The nurse was terrified. She already saw One-Eye as another one of the mental patients. Being spoken to directly by one of them sent her into a panic. She bowed her head and scurried away without a word.

One-Eye pondered for a moment, then made a decision. He would experience it one more time. He refused to believe he could be knocked unconscious by a few simple needles. He'd once had every bone in his body crushed by a malevolent entity, and even through that agonizing pain, he hadn't lost consciousness. How could he be defeated by something so simple?

"I want to try it again," One-Eye stated.

A warrior's pride was at stake. He would not be humbled by a mental patient.

Leo and Walter looked at One-Eye in surprise, which quickly turned to delight.

"Okay!" Walter nodded eagerly. He had just been feeling down about his mistake, and now a new opportunity had presented itself. How could he not be happy?

"You'll definitely succeed this time," Leo said with conviction.

"Yes, I believe I will succeed too," Walter replied with a firm nod.

But his expression quickly fell. "But... I don't have my needles. They stole my weapon."

Leo put an arm around Walter's shoulders, comforting him.

"There, there, don't cry. They were very mean to do that."

One-Eye stared blankly at the two of them. He was now 100% certain they were both severely mentally ill. He even began to question his own decision. Was he a fool for trying to reason with madmen?

"I'll take care of it for you," One-Eye said, then pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

In the hallway, Leon's treatment was finished. After a sedative, he had gradually calmed down. He gripped the doctor's hand, his eyes filled with tears as he pleaded, "Doctor, I'm begging you, please don't put me back in that room! They're all mental patients! I'm a normal person! I'm an orderly from the asylum! I demand a different room!"

The doctor patted Leon's hand gently. "That's wonderful! Since you're an orderly, you must have a lot of experience. You're surely much better at taking care of them than we are."

Hearing this, Leon slid nimbly off the gurney and dropped to his knees on the floor, clinging to the doctor's arm. "Please, don't make me go back! I just want a different room! I'm begging you, I don't want to die!"

As he spoke, tears and snot streamed down his face.

"Hey, young man, why are you so emotional?" the doctor said. "You're a professional. You should have confidence in yourself. Besides, the hospital is completely full right now. We can't arrange another room for you on such short notice. And think of it this way: staying there means your hospital fees are waived. Aren't you happy about that?"

Since professional logic hadn't worked, the doctor tried appealing to his wallet. Surely there was some benefit that would win him over.

Many family members of other patients were walking through the corridor.

Just then, a disheveled, middle-aged man with weary eyes passed by. The flattened state of his wallet spoke of his poverty. He overheard the conversation between Leon and the doctor, and a glimmer of light appeared in his dim eyes.

"Doctor, is what you just said true?"

"If I'm willing to stay in that room, my hospital fees will be waived?" the man asked, his face filled with hope.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, that's right. But there are three mental patients in there, and they're a bit... dangerous."

The man shook his head. "I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid at all. I'm willing to switch rooms with him."

Leon grabbed the man's hands, his gratitude overflowing.

"Brother, thank you."

"You're truly a good man."