Strongest Maniac: Born in an Asylum

Not long after One-Eye made the call, a man in a crisp black suit appeared, carrying a case of silver needles into the hospital room.

The subordinate was deeply confused, but he knew better than to ask questions. He delivered the case and departed swiftly, without a moment's hesitation.

"Here are the needles," One-Eye said, his voice flat. "You may begin when you are ready."

He braced himself, ready to carefully analyze every sensation. He had to understand what power these dozen, seemingly ordinary needles possessed that could render him unconscious.

"Such beautiful needles," Walter commented, admiring them.

"Indeed, they are," Leo agreed. "Long and slender, and they catch the light. You must focus this time, Walter. No distractions. Give him your full attention. I know you can do it."

Soon, Walter was peering at One-Eye's head with the focus of a master craftsman. Leo watched intently from the side.

"That part there," Leo pointed to the top of One-Eye's head. "It juts out. It's not aesthetically pleasing."

Thwack!

A needle went in.

"If it's not pleasing, we poke it," Walter declared.

His fingers were nimble, the needle landing with speed and precision. He never strayed from his core principle: if it looks wrong, stick it. It was a technique no one else could possibly learn. Otherwise, what would be the point of all his years of effort?

One-Eye monitored his body's reactions, but to his bewilderment, there was nothing. A needle plunged into such a critical area should have produced some sensation, no matter how slight.

Walter scrutinized his subject, searching for any part that seemed out of place. Even a spot that looked fine one moment would suddenly seem wrong the next.

The second needle!

The third!

Leo pointed to another spot. "There's a problem here."

"Mmm, I see it too," Walter said gravely.

The fourth needle!

...

The twelfth needle!

One-Eye's heart began to pound. It wasn't the needles that scared him, but the complete lack of any adverse feeling. To him, that was the most terrifying part. How was this possible?

Suddenly, he remembered. It was on the thirteenth needle that he had lost consciousness before. The moment of truth was approaching.

The thirteenth needle descended!

One-Eye focused all his senses, preparing for the inevitable. And then, his world went black. With a dull thud, he pitched forward and collapsed onto the floor.

Walter stood frozen, still holding a needle, and looked blankly at Leo.

"He... what happened to him?"

Leo pondered for a moment. "He must have fallen asleep."

The nurse at the door, who had witnessed the entire event, let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"Doctor! Help!"

Her cry echoed through the entire floor, startling everyone. What could have happened to make a nurse so utterly terrified?

There was no need for an ambulance siren this time. Doctors and nurses rushed in, hoisted One-Eye onto a gurney, and wheeled him back to the emergency room.

When Vice Director Lee heard the news, he nearly fainted himself. Is there no end to this madness?

Meanwhile, Leo and Walter lay back on their beds, lost in thought. Where did we go wrong?

Squeak!

The sound of another gurney approached.

The man who had agreed to switch with Leon wheeled his daughter into the room. He stopped at the doorway, his eyes falling on Leo and Walter. These were the mental patients the doctors had warned him about.

He understood the dangers. He could never fathom why society allowed such unpredictable individuals to roam free, capable of harming or even killing others without facing real punishment. A mental patient who killed during an episode wouldn't face criminal charges; their family would just have to pay civil damages.

How was that fair?

He looked down at his daughter on the gurney and steeled himself, pushing the gurney into the room.

His daughter had leukemia, a disease that had consumed all his savings. The daily cost of a hospital bed was a burden he could no longer bear. When he heard about a room with waived fees, he seized the opportunity.

Leo and Walter looked at the middle-aged man, then at the pale little girl. They exchanged a look, their heads full of questions. What's wrong with her? Why is her head bald? How strange.

"It's not too late to change your mind," the accompanying doctor leaned in and whispered to the father.

"No, we're staying here," the man said, his voice firm.

Mark Zhang lifted his seven-year-old daughter onto the bed. He then moved a chair to sit between the two beds, a human shield for his child. If these patients made a single wrong move, he would fight them to his last breath.

"Daddy..." the little girl whispered from the bed.

Mark turned, stroking her forehead. "Shh, sweetheart. Be good. Once you're better, you can be my lively little princess again. Get some sleep. Daddy will be right here, watching over you."

"Okay," the little girl nodded obediently.

Leo and Walter watched the little girl, then turned their curious gazes to her father.

"She doesn't look very well."

"I know acupuncture. I can take a look for you."

Mark wanted to ignore the two men, but when he heard those words, his face hardened. He stared at them with wary eyes.

Time passed slowly. Leo just watched the man calmly, that gentle smile never leaving his face, his eyes devoid of any flicker of emotion.

A normal person would find such a gaze deeply unnerving.

Mark's throat went dry. The stare made his skin crawl. But he had to keep a constant watch on them, in case they tried to attack when his guard was down.

After a moment, he found himself lowering his head, unable to meet the unwavering gaze. But the thought of his daughter sleeping peacefully behind him gave him strength. He lifted his head again, meeting Leo's eyes head-on. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, but he showed no fear. A father's love is a powerful thing, capable of turning fear into defiance.

After a while, the little girl woke up. She looked curiously at Leo, and Leo looked curiously back at her. The two of them just stared at each other in silence.

The little girl decided that this big brother's smile was very gentle. His eyes were so clear. She liked this big brother.

Leo pulled at his eyelids and stuck out his tongue, making a funny face.

The little girl let out a tinkling laugh, her face alight with joy. But the pain from her illness soon made her frown. It hurt so much. But she had to be strong, so her daddy wouldn't worry.

Mark saw Leo making faces at his daughter and immediately positioned his own body in front of her, glaring at Leo as if to say, If you dare bother my daughter again, I'll take you on.

Leo tilted his head to look around Mark. The little girl peeked her head out to look back.

Their eyes met again.

"Hee hee!"

"Hee hee!"

To the little girl, Leo's smile was like the sun, filling her with warmth.

To Mark, that same smile was chilling. Sinister.

Squeak!

Another gurney was wheeled in.

One-Eye was back, lying stone-faced on the bed.

The doctor's words echoed in his mind.

"Your situation is… complicated. It appears to be a temporary paralysis of the right leg. You'll need a period of rest and recovery."

The doctor's expression had been a mix of bewilderment and morbid respect, as if to say, You're really something else. You let a mental patient stick you with needles, and now look at you. Paralyzed.

One-Eye was stunned.

It wasn't the paralysis itself that shocked him.

It was the fact that a mere mental patient had managed to paralyze a warrior of his caliber.

How could this be? This isn't real.

He couldn't accept it.

I will not be paralyzed.