Strongest Maniac: Born in an Asylum

Leo scurried to the base of the high-voltage transformer box. He couldn't reach it. He hugged the stone pillar and tried to climb, but he couldn't get a grip. He stood on the ground, scratching his head, a little puzzled.

It's a bit high. What if I can't climb it?

He saw Walter still being chased by the bad people and knew he couldn't waste Walter's efforts. He had to get up there, no matter what.

A sign on the high-voltage box read:

« DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE. UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL STRICTLY PROHIBITED. VIOLATORS WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSEQUENCES. »

Leo was calm. He recognized the words. He wasn't illiterate; he was a very learned man, though others just hadn't noticed.

He felt that if he couldn't climb it, he could jump. He bent his knees slightly, pushed off with both feet, and actually made it.

He had never imagined he could jump so high. He firmly believed that if you wanted to do something, you could definitely do it. If you never tried, you would never know how powerful you were.

Once, the two holes in the power outlet were a shortcut to heaven. Now, the high-voltage box was a special shortcut that didn't even require a trip to the hospital.

A normal person would be scared out of their wits by this thing. But to Leo, he wanted to try the useful current Walter had told him about. Maybe it would really work. He hoped it wouldn't disappoint.

"Ah, you're chasing me..."

Walter was as agile as a monkey, running incredibly fast. The several orderlies chasing him couldn't even catch him.

The surrounding mental patients clapped and cheered.

"Go, go, go..."

"Run, run fast!"

They didn't know what was happening, but it looked very interesting. A hawk catching a chick. What fun!

Ned chased him for half a day, panting heavily. He leaned on his kidneys, gasping for breath. He was so tired. He never thought a mental patient could run so fast.

He used to think this job was dangerous. Now he realized it wasn't just dangerous, it was also damn tiring. If it weren't for that cursed money, he would never have stooped so low.

"Stop running!" Ned yelled. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something. He turned his head in astonishment and saw a patient climbing onto the high-voltage box. He let out a terrified shriek. "Get down from there! You can't touch that! Get down!"

"Stop chasing him! A patient has climbed onto the high-voltage box!"

Ned was stunned. His mental state was relatively stable. If a female orderly had seen this, she would have covered her mouth and screamed her heart out. If she was timid, she might have even been scared into leaking some unknown liquid.

The orderlies chasing Walter heard the shout and looked over. They too saw Leo on the high-voltage box, and their faces turned pale with horror.

Does he have a death wish?

But on second thought, it was understandable. If you talked to a mental patient about not wanting to live, they would probably ask you if you didn't want money.

A senior head nurse was strolling through the asylum, holding a thermos. He was very satisfied with his job. Although it could be a bit troublesome at times, it was mostly very relaxing. He could walk anywhere with his thermos, and everyone he saw would greet him...

"Good morning, Head Nurse!"

Clang!

Just then, the senior head nurse froze in place. The thermos in his hand fell to the ground. His mouth hung open, and he stared in disbelief at the scene in the distance.

"Holy shit!"

He, a man with a doctorate, saw the scene before him, and all his eloquence flew out the window. A single "holy shit" represented the state of his heart.

He took out his phone and dialed the Director's number.

"Director, something's about to happen," he said, his voice calm but laced with fear.

"Oh, I know. The ambulance will be here soon."

"Director, this time it might not be a 120 problem. The burial plot you had someone arrange last time might be needed."

"What did you say?"

"AH! Someone's dead!"

The senior head nurse let out a piercing scream, so scared that he dropped his phone.

Leo touched the wires inside the high-voltage box. A terrifying current surged through his body. His hair stood on end, and arcs of electricity crackled around him. He twitched, and his facial features began to contort.

His eyes rolled back in his head. He slowly raised his hand, pointing a finger to the sky, electricity sparking from his fingertip.

"Walter," he yelled, "I think I've succeeded!"

"I'm full of power now!"

BOOM!

Sparks flew, and a momentary explosion sent Leo flying.

In his office, Director Hess slowly put down his phone. He looked at his suddenly black computer screen and had a bad feeling. Then, a roar reached his ears. He rushed to the window and saw flames and black smoke rising from the high-voltage box in the distance.

"I..."

He didn't even say a word. He frantically dialed 120.

"Hello! This is..."

"I know where you are. We're on our way. We'll be there soon."

"I wanted to say..."

"I know. Hanging up now. I'm driving."

Beep... beep!

Director Hess stood frozen, his expression stiff. He didn't even need to think to know who was seeking death. But he had never imagined that the patients of Room 666 would challenge a high-voltage box.

It's so high. How did they even get up there?

At that moment, Leo lay quietly on the lawn. The surrounding grass was scorched black, and his body was also charred. His hair was burnt to a crisp. When he hit the ground, he twitched a few times.

The orderlies stood there, stunned. Some of their legs were shaking, and some collapsed to the ground. They were completely terrified by the scene before them.

"Keep the patients away! Stay eight meters back!" the orderlies who had regained their composure shouted. They held back the other patients, preventing them from getting closer.

"Leo..."

Walter ignored the orderlies' attempts to stop him and rushed to Leo's side.

"Get back!" an orderly yelled.

But to Walter, he had to get to Leo and see what had happened.

Walter saw that Leo was completely black. He reached out to touch him. Zap! There seemed to be a residual current. Walter snatched his hand back in shock.

"Leo, are you okay?" Walter asked anxiously, wringing his hands.

Leo's entire body was black, except for his eyes and teeth. He forced a smile, revealing his white teeth.

"I'm fine. I feel great."

Walter grabbed his head and asked miserably, "Did I do something wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong. I'm fine now. I'm just a little tired. I'm going to take a nap," Leo said slowly, then closed his eyes and lay there motionless.

Walter paced back and forth anxiously. Impossible! I must have done something wrong! The thing on TV was so scary!

He saw sparks still crackling in front of him. He slowly walked over and reached out to touch them.

BOOM!

Walter was thrown back, landing beside Leo. The two patients of Room 666, who had never lain side by side, were now sharing both blessings and misfortunes.

Good brothers should always be together.

"AH! Director, another one's dead!"

A mentally unstable female orderly sat on the lawn, screaming her heart out.

In an instant, screams echoed throughout the Green Mountain Asylum.

Wee-woo! Wee-woo! Wee-woo!

The familiar sound arrived.

An ambulance drifted smoothly into place with a "Divine Dragon Swings its Tail" maneuver.

The doctors and nurses rushed out with a gurney. But when they saw the scene, they all fell silent.

"Director Hess, do we take them to the hospital by the book, or straight to the crematorium?" a doctor asked.

"What do you think?"

Director Hess was in a terrible mood. Please don't let anything happen. After all these years, I've grown attached to you. I just never thought you would play so big.

Damn you, high-voltage box! Couldn't you have been a little higher? Like, two or three hundred meters high?