Mac stranded deeper into the cave. The fact that he couldn't overwhelm luterio no matter how he tried left the worse taste on his mouth, although dragging by his last leg helped his humor a little.
He was so busy thinking about different ways to break Luterio that he barely noticed the specifics of his environment. But he was not missing much either way.
The cave was depressingly small and swallow. Mac had seen craters with narrowed entrances than this whole. Also, there were not many signs that people lived there. Considering the lack of light and the abundance of loose pebbles, Mac would find more comfort in a gap in the dirt.
"How can you guys be so irresponsible?" He asked luterio, trying to stir him again. "The poorly maintained tents outside were already bad enough, and now this cave that is literally just a hole! Did someone really live here?"
"It was at my father's request," Luterio said matter-of-factly, completely ignoring the pebbles on the ground pinching his dragged body. "This was his place of focus that he rarely left. He believed that any change to the naturality of this cave could impact his cultivation negatively."
"I see. I imagine someone as inconsequential as your father could be foolish enough to think that way." Mac's grin increased when he saw a reaction from Luterio. It seemed he was still breakable.
Sooner than later, Mac reached the end of the cave. No light went this far, but Mac had tempered and adapted eyes that allowed him to see even in pitch black. Although, faithful to the rest of the place, there was nothing to see.
"Hmph! So much for a cultivator den!" He let go of Luterio and kicked a few rocks together to make a chair that he resentfully sited on to face Luterio.
If Mac knew he would get so frustrated with this little trip, he would have accompanied Hai. "Either way, it is a good distraction, I guess." He massaged his tired eyes and looked at the still but alive Luterio. Mac had yet not given up on crushing him.
"You said it was alright for me to profit from your loss, yet there is nothing of worth here. I wonder if your father felt as disappointed with you as I am now." He could not control his vile smile.
Luterio slowly raised himself to sit up and then cleaned the dirt from his hair. He had his eyes shut and breathed in and out repeatedly. Mac's words finally impacted Luterio, but it was not enough to ruin him.
"It is true," He said with difficulty and without opening his eyes to look at Mac. He was forcing himself to talk slowly. "That you will find nothing of importance here. My father would not allow foreign elements here, and I would not dare to ask to, even if it was the safest place."
Mac appreciated the implication that Luterio passed, but what he enjoyed, even more, was that Luterio's shell was cracking. "Hehe. Making peace with yourself? Let's see about that."
"If it is our riches that you seek," Luterio continued. "You will find all our value buried under my tent, outside. It is relatively uncomplicated to find, as it is the most prominent one."
Mac scorned with laughter. "The most prominent, you don't say? I think that is expected from the second in command here, but it makes me wonder. What would the first in command do if he was alive here to witness you, his definitely not proudful son, giving his fortune away so readily?"
Luterio's reaction was less intense this time, with his eyes focused on Mac. "It is a wonder indeed, but it is how it is. I am just facing my destiny the way I want. My late father has no say in that."
"Hmph, I see." Mac did not appreciate Luterio's calmness. It reached a point that he even envied Luterio's current demeanor. Another strain on his ego.
The greed that led Mac to the invaders' hideout had greatly diminished. Luterio was bringing other glaring flaws from Mac that he would not let go of.
Mac remained quiet for a long time, with Luterio not daring to interrupt. It took a few minutes before he came up with a different topic to torment his harmless and unprovoked foe.
"Hahaha, yes, that is right," Mac cheered with a eureka. "Guima did say something about this! Hey Luterio, one can say that you hold Erapta in high regard, right?! Then riddle me this, o regretless sage, what in not Erapta are you doing here while your precious kingdom is in the middle of a war with Atankla?!" Mac felt dopamine overflowing his brain with the contortion in Luterio's expression. "Oh, no, Don't tell me! Are you actually a deserter from your kingdom?!"
Luterio's prideful conduct collapsed as he started to breathe with his whole chest while his eyes twitched erratically. Finally, he had returned to the pitiful man that Mac wanted.
Usually, Mac would finally slay his enemies after breaking them, but this time was different. He was like an addict, and he was far from satisfied.
"Hey mate, aren't you going to answer your end-bringer?" He promptly snapped his fingers. "I don't have all day! So stop being a little bitch and tell me already that you are a shameless and coward deserter that doesn't even deserve a grave to lie in!"
Luterio glared at Mac with rage as he tried to calm himself, but his facade quickly collapsed on itself, and he screamed. "I WOULD NEVER BETRAY ERAPTA!!!"
The echoes from the cave increased Mac's grin little by little as he heard Luterio's desperate cry over and over again. "Oh, really? Please elaborate." He said with pleasure.
"We were insulted by those fuckers!" Luterio swore with blood and spit flying from his broken jaw. It was as if he was explaining himself more to god than to Mac. "They... THEY WERE THE ONES THAT BETRAYED US!"
Mac giggled. "That is something that a deserter would say. What a coincidence, don't you think?"
"NO! I am not a deserter!" Luterio's breathing worsened as his eyes aimlessly looked around until they rested on Mac again. "You... you would agree with me, Mac Key Kast!"
Mac chuckled while Luterio sought validation from him and started calling him by his full name again. He had no idea what he was talking about, but he found the situation funny. "Oh really? You must think really low of me if you believe that I would ever side with a despicable deserter," Mac added extra poison to his words. "Well, enlighten me then. Explain to me how you are not a backstabbing coward."
Unexpected to Mac, Luterio did not take offense this time. He actually seemed like someone that had just found their chance for redemption. "Mac Key Kast, I am sure you remember when you and your Hevies invaded Boltan City and destroyed the largest vault of Erapta, right?"
Luterio surprised Mac once again, but this time he welcomed it. He loved having his ego spoiled. "Oh yeah!" He said with a less sadistic tone as he remembered the good old days. "We didn't technically invade Boldan, but boy, was that a good Friday. Maybe I should gather the team and pull another heist like that again."
But the only thing pulled, for now, was Mac from his wishful thinking. Luterio woke him up as he continued with his declaration. "And I am sure you know that your actions impacted the entirety of Erapta, right?"
"Hehehe, yeeeessss. I do that sometimes." Mac almost drowned on his own ego again, but managed to emerge this time. "Wait! Are you by any chance trying to get my favor by flattering me? Well, I will give you a heads-up. I am only corruptable by people with a lot of money and power." He said, somehow proudly. "So give it up at once! I will not fail for your tricks again."
"You misread me, Mac Key Kast!" Luterio shook his only hand wildly as he tried to explain himself. "I am only trying to give you context. What I am attempting to say is that things changed because of you. And the way those so-called "real children of Erapta" treated my clan to amend for the losses of the kingdom was nothing but an insult to Erapta himself."
"Hm? What are you talking about?" Mac questioned with genuine confusion. He could tell that Luterio was being truthful, but he spotted a glaring plot hole in his story. "There is no way those guys would go after your clan. You have, I am sorry, you had a cultivator in your family. The people of Erapta should be opening their legs for your endorsement. The royals wouldn't dare offend a cultivator. They would rather raise the taxes of their people instead."
"Yes, YES!" Luterio seemed euphoric, while Mac deeply regretted his words. "You understand my situation, don't you?! It was absolutely unacceptable what they did to us! We were entirely in the right for abandoning those scum who betrayed us! It was my father's idea to leave. He told me to gather the most trustworthy of our clan, so we departed with no destination in mind, but our hearts filled to the brim with rightness. I am so glad you agree!"
"Your father really does sound like a little bitch, huh?" Mac said, with his curiosity slightly nudged. "But there must be a reason why the royals had so much bad faith towards you guys. Did they suspect you of treason or something?"
Mac watched as Luterio brooded his question with resentment stamped on his face. While he enjoyed the view, Mac felt that his delight in Luterio's torture decreased gradually. He was bored with his toy.
Mac got on his feet and calmly approached Luterio with his war hammer in hand. "Better end on a high note." He rationalized as Luterio was still twisting his face in affliction.
Luterio did not even realize his cold-blooded and disturbed doom was closing. He was staring intensely at his palm while he pondered the reason why everything started going wrong with his life.
Mac was about to bring his hammer down to the unsuspecting Luterio, but then he heard a name that he did not expect to hear. "It all started with the Karagan," Luterio muttered with the realization.
Mac's whole body jolted, and he accidentally let go of his weapon midswing. The hammer flew past Luterio and landed on the floor, making the entire cave tremble with threats of collapse.
It was like a nightmare for Mac. He fell on his butt with a cold seat drenching his back. He covered his head with his arms, completely ignoring the broken one. And when all that failed to keep the terrors of his mind away, he screamed with his whole might.
But the screams did not cover the thoughts. "Karagan, Karagan, KARAGAN!" Louder and louder the cursed word haunted his mind. Mac wanted to crack his skull to stop ignored memories from swelling in.
His eyes watered as every attempt failed. Only regrets rested, old and new. If he had just killed Luterio when he had the chance! Mac noticed the dark blur in his vision that finally distracted him.
"It is his fault!" Mac focused on the man in front of him. He tried to ignore what Luterio was faulty and what he had done. There was only one thought left.
Mac enveloped Luterio's neck with his hands. His vision was still blurred with his tears, now paired with a tinge of red from his bloodshot eyes, making him incapable of seeing what face Luterio was making. His left arm screamed with pain as he put more force in, but he did not stop. He could not stop.
And soon enough, the last crack came! Over fifty years of events and experiences lead Luterio to death by a mentally deranged kid in a random cave. Mac would never know what face he was making and if the man he tortured made peace with himself in his last moments.