Strongest Maniac: Born in an Asylum

"Where's your family?" the woman asked. She felt a pang of pity. Mental patients had it rough; they were ostracized everywhere, and people avoided them like the plague. Some people were even cruel enough to tease and mock them, deriving a sick pleasure from their humiliation.

She had witnessed it once herself. A young man had tormented a female patient, tearing up her doll as if she were a child. He had laughed hysterically as he watched her sob on the ground, trying to piece the doll back together. In the end, the woman had snapped, tearing the young man apart with her bare hands and teeth. It was a gruesome scene that had made many people vomit.

"He's my family."

"He's my family."

Leo and Walter pointed at each other, then broke into identical, radiant smiles.

The woman pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and handed it to Leo. "Take this. My treat. There's a diner at the hospital entrance. Just give the money to the waitress, and she'll get you some food."

"We don't need money," Leo said, shaking his head.

"That's right, we don't need money," Walter echoed.

Leo looked at the woman. "I can see that you need this money more than we do."

The woman chuckled. "How can you tell that? Making money is much easier for me than it is for you. Just take it. Don't be shy. It's fate that we met and talked like this."

Rustle!

A faint sound drifted from the nearby trees. A normal person wouldn't have heard it, or would have dismissed it as the rustling of leaves.

"There's something over there," Leo said, pointing to a branch not far away.

Walter looked up. "I don't see anything. What is it?"

The woman peered into the darkness as well, but saw nothing.

Leo walked into the grove, picked up a stone from the ground, and took aim at the branch above.

Whoosh!

He threw the small stone. A few leaves fluttered down, but nothing else.

Coiled on the branch, the Black Serpent was furious. How dare this human throw a stone at me? Your whole family must die! Don't you know I'm the malevolent entity, the Black Serpent? If it weren't for the fear of losing its excellent hiding spot, it would have swallowed him whole.

Leo saw something coiled on the branch, and he could feel its malice directed at him. He threw another small stone.

It missed again.

The Black Serpent flicked its tongue. Human, you're going too far. Don't think I won't eat you. You have the guts to throw another one? Just try it.

Thwack!

The stone hit the tip of the Black Serpent's tail. It stung, and one of its scales cracked. The accumulated frustrations of its recent encounters with humans had already filled the serpent with immense resentment. Now, with its tail under attack, its rage boiled over. It launched itself from the branch, aiming for Leo's neck, its fangs bared, ready to bite this insolent human to death.

The Black Serpent was incredibly fast, a blur in the darkness.

Leo raised his arm to block, his muscles tensing instinctively. The serpent bit down on his arm.

Crack!

Its fangs shattered. The long body coiled around Leo's arm, constricting, trying to crush it.

"A snake. It's a snake," Leo said calmly.

"It's so long," Walter observed.

Leo smiled. "It's just like the ones on TV. It's so cute, even cuter than the ones on TV."

"Yes, it is!" Walter clapped his hands. It was the first time he'd seen a snake up close. It was really adorable.

A spark of fantasy ignited in the Black Serpent's mind.

Adorable?

A human just called me adorable! I've finally found the right one!

The Black Serpent relaxed its body, winding gently around Leo's arm like a friendly companion. It flicked its tongue, licking the human's palm. You're right. I, the Black Serpent, am very adorable. Humans truly have no resistance to cute things.

"That tickles! He's licking me!" Leo said, giggling.

Walter held out his hand, wanting to be licked too. After a moment, he laughed happily. "He licked me too! It tickles so much!"

Seeing the two humans so delighted, the Black Serpent put on an even more charming display. It gloated silently. So you all think you're the only cute ones, do you? I just hadn't met the right people. Look at these two foolish humans, so happy. When the time is right, I'll swallow them in one gulp. A fine reward for them.

The woman's legs trembled. She was terrified. She never would have imagined such a long snake was coiled in the branches above. If she hadn't met these two... the thought of that snake falling on her was too horrifying to contemplate.

There was a grimy alley outside the hospital where many families of long-term patients lived. The buildings were simple, one-story structures, but the rent was cheap.

At that moment, a fragrant aroma wafted from one of the rooms.

The room was spartan but tidy. The walls were covered with certificates of merit.

'Straight-A Student!'

'Outstanding Class President!'

On a nightstand sat a picture frame containing a photo of two people: the woman from the grove, and a smiling little girl in a school uniform.

The kitchen was just a corner of the room. A large iron pot sat on a stove, the source of the fragrant smell. In the rich, white broth, chunks of a snake's body bobbed alongside a snake's head, its eyes wide with an expression of indignant disbelief as it rolled in the simmering soup.

The fire was high, and the soup bubbled vigorously.

Leo and Walter sat at the table, their faces filled with anticipation. It smelled so good. Just like that cute little puppy, anything that was cute was bound to be delicious.

Grumble, grumble!

Their stomachs rumbled, and their mouths watered.

The woman brought out large bowls and ladled the snake soup into them, sprinkling it with chopped scallions before setting them on the table.

Leo and Walter, famished, dug in without hesitation.

The woman didn't eat any of the snake meat. The memory of the snake thrashing on the chopping block, its eyes glaring with a terrifying light, made her shudder. She didn't know what that look meant, but she supposed it was just defiance.

Black Serpent: Damn it! What happened to 'adorable'?! Why are you chopping me up?! You wretched humans! Let me go and fight me one-on-one! Or at least give me a 99-meter head start and see if you can catch me!

A while later, Leo and Walter stood at the woman's doorway, holding plastic takeout containers. "Thank you for cooking for us. Thank you, you're a really good person."

The woman forced a smile, though it was a bit stiff.

Mental patients were indeed pitiable.

But they were also terrifying.

She didn't know where she had found the courage to bring them back and cook the snake for them. Perhaps it was her own kindness.

They walked down the alley, their lips still greasy from the meal. They had eaten their fill and were very happy. Walter had only eaten a few pieces before declaring he was full. The rest, aside from what they'd packed to go, had been devoured by Leo.

As he ate, a warm feeling spread through his stomach.

Four men passed by Leo and Walter, giving them a cursory glance before moving on.

"Hey! The fluctuations of malevolent energy were in this area just now, but now they're gone. Looks like we'll have to search house by house. Hopefully, we can find it."

"The malevolent entities are getting smarter, using humans to hide themselves. This is so troublesome."

"Who knows where that thing is now."

"Remember, check every dark corner. Don't miss anything."

"Got it."