Strongest Maniac: Born in an Asylum

Seaside City Docks.

This was Seaside City's largest port, a crucial hub connecting numerous important waterways. The city's economy relied heavily on this very dock.

Right now, however, it was a scene of utter chaos. Cargo was strewn everywhere, and the dock workers had scattered in all directions, vanishing in the blink of an eye with practiced, first-rate speed.

BOOM!

CRASH!

A deafening roar echoed through the air.

In the distance, a three-to-four-meter-tall octopus thrashed its tentacles, repeatedly smashing the ground. Each tentacle was covered with nearly four hundred suckers, each with a powerful grip. Anyone caught in its grasp would find it nearly impossible to escape.

« Soaring fire, divine thunder, the supreme Tai Chi, encompassing all dimensions, turning heaven and earth upside down... a swift command, to be obeyed immediately. »

« Sudden Fire Thunder Spell! »

A middle-aged man in a suit, holding a Taoist longsword, chanted an incantation, channeling the divine power of the heavens. Instantly, a ball of fire materialized in front of him, crackling with arcs of lightning, radiating immense power.

"Go!"

The man, a graduate of the Taoist High Institute, swung his sword. With a whoosh, the fireball shot forward and engulfed the octopus.

"Amazing!"

The three other masters who had been battling the octopus cheered. They had been struggling against this malevolent entity. Its suckers were terrifying, and its numerous, dense tentacles were difficult to dodge. Now, seeing their companion unleash his ultimate move, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. How could the octopus possibly survive this?

The Taoist man looked a bit strained, but he still said smugly, "Of course it's amazing. This is a spell from Volume 4 of the Supreme Three Caverns Divine Incantations. It takes a lot out of me to cast it, you know."

"In a moment, it'll be a well-cooked octopus."

One of the other men pouted. "What's so great about that? My Mountain Sect has a spell like that too."

"Yours is a pirated version," the Taoist man retorted.

"Amitabha."

A man who had graduated from the Buddhist Temple High Institute watched the scene with a calm expression. He was used to this. In their four-man team, they each had a role. He was the tank, drawing the malevolent entity's attention so the others had a chance to cast their powerful spells. He looked at his reddened palms and chanted "Amitabha" again, regretting his choice of school. He was always the one getting hit.

Suddenly, the octopus let out a heart-wrenching scream. Its mournful cry sent a chill down their spines. Its eight tentacles thrashed wildly, cracking the ground with each impact and sending chunks of concrete flying.

The four men winced. Repairing roads was expensive, and so were the workers' wages. It would all have to come out of the finance department's budget, which was funded by their own taxes.

Suddenly, the octopus's aura changed. A dense black mist billowed from its body.

The four masters, who had just been boasting, their faces paled.

"Not good."

BOOM!

The octopus's eyes glowed red. Its body grew larger, its tentacles thicker. The wounds from the Sudden Fire Thunder Spell began to heal. It swung its eight massive tentacles, and the spell was shattered into scattered balls of fire that slammed into the chests of the four masters.

All four were sent flying. The Buddhist master, with his stronger physique, managed to stay on his feet but was pushed back several steps.

Spurt!

They all coughed up blood, staring in horror at the scene before them. How could this be? Just a moment ago, the creature was only three or four meters tall. Now it had swelled to five or six.

"Its power level isn't four, it's five!"

"A Level 5 malevolent entity here, and such a difficult one at that. We're no match for it."

The octopus thrashed about, enraged. It had been hiding peacefully in the river, but its curiosity got the better of it. It had wanted to see if humans were tasty, so it had secretly eaten one. And then it had been chased and attacked.

It thought humans were so petty. So I ate one of you. Why make such a big deal out of it? Fine. If that's how you're going to be, I'll just eat all of you.

Just then, a figure descended from the sky, landing on a raised container.

"I am not happy right now."

The voice cut through the chaos.

The four masters looked up and saw a man standing on the container. He was bald, wearing an eyepatch, and had a grim expression. They recognized him immediately and cried out in surprise.

"One-Eye!"

They didn't usually call him that, but they were just so excited that they couldn't help it. Their reward was a glare that seemed to want to kill them.

One-Eye was in a terrible mood. He wasn't usually like this, but ever since his encounter with the two mental patients, he hadn't been happy. He couldn't take his anger out on his subordinates, so he would just have to take it out on this malevolent entity.

"Octopus," he said, his voice calm, "I hope you can put up a good fight. Let me vent a little."

On the overpass.

An ambulance sped along. The driver, Vice Director Lee, held the steering wheel with one hand and a cigarette with the other, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Green Mountain Asylum was just ahead. That was his destination.

Traffic jam.

The cars in front were stopped, though there hadn't been a collision.

Beep! Beep!

Vice Director Lee honked the horn. Can't you just move? Don't you know I have two mental patients in here? Do you want me to let them out to chop you up?

This was just his internal monologue. In reality, he just smiled helplessly and said, "There's even a traffic jam on the overpass. The traffic is a bit heavy today."

The driver held a lighter in his hand. The Vice Director was talking to him, and he was nervous. He saw that the Vice Director's cigarette had gone out and quickly reached over with both hands.

"Director, let me light that for you."

Vice Director Lee saw that his cigarette was indeed out. He smiled and leaned in towards the lighter, patting the back of the driver's hand in a gesture of thanks.

"Help!"

"Malevolent entity! There's a malevolent entity!"

"Run!"

The citizens in front abandoned their cars and fled in panic.

"Malevolent entity?" Vice Director Lee shook his head and chuckled. He looked at the driver beside him. "You probably don't know this, but malevolent entities aren't really that scary, because..."

CRASH!

A black shadow slammed into the car window, cracking the glass. It was clearly a person who had been thrown by the entity. The man's face was contorted in pain. He seemed to be pleading for help, using his bloody finger to write on the window.

'SOS'

He couldn't speak because he was deaf and mute.

Vice Director Lee and the driver exchanged a look. For a moment, neither of them said a word. Then, they both opened their car doors and decisively got out, moving with incredible speed and no hesitation.

Malevolent entities are fucking terrifying!

In the distance, a two-meter-tall octopus moved along on its tentacles. It couldn't speak, but in its heart, it was crying out.

"Dad, where are you?"

"I can't find you."

"I'm hungry. I want to eat something."

The two-meter-tall octopus moved happily, effortlessly flipping over the cars that blocked its path.

Inside the ambulance.

"I'm so hungry."

Leo emerged from his Qi cultivation state. His heart was still calm, and he had absorbed his fill of energy particles. But his stomach was empty, and every cell in his body was screaming with hunger.

Vice Director Lee opened the back door of the ambulance and saw the two patients discussing their hunger.

"Let's go! A malevolent entity is coming!" he yelled. "If you don't want to be eaten, run with me!"

Leo and Walter got out of the ambulance. Vice Director Lee grabbed them, trying to pull them away, but he couldn't move them. He was so frustrated he was on the verge of a breakdown. I'm about to become the Director! Why are you doing this to me? Run with me!

"Is it cute?"

"It's okay."

Leo and Walter looked at each other, grinning happily. It was a look of pure joy.

Vice Director Lee looked at the two mental patients, his eyes wide with frustration. He then turned to the equally terrified driver beside him and said regretfully, "You were right. I shouldn't have driven them. You should have."

The driver looked at Vice Director Lee in astonishment, roaring internally, How can you be so shameless?

But...

"To be able to serve the Director is my honor."

Even if a thousand troops stand before us, my rainbow of praise will always be reserved for you, Director. That is my attitude.