Floating up to the colossal presence of the S-ranked demons, Alex's confidence shattered. "No, I cannot afford recklessness. I must strategize meticulously to ensure absolute success," he muttered, observing that the higher-ranking demons seemed oblivious to the disappearance of those he had consumed.

  With only 64 demon hearts remaining to devour, Alex tirelessly pursued his goal, unlocking his full potential and mastering his demonic abilities.

  Although living among the demons, Alex maintained his facade of servitude while secretly absorbing mana from the stone, evading Beezelbub's scrutiny. His magical prowess soared, surpassing his waning physical strength. Time held no significance within the Demon Realm, and Alex patiently cultivated his power.

  His MP soared to an impressive 3000, rivaling his halved strength, and he acquired a formidable new skill: Mana Outburst. Unleashing this ability, he projected a ring of True Flames, capable of suppressing and stunning his foes.

  Undeterred, Alex delved deeper into the True Flames, suppressing himself entirely as he repeatedly activated Mana Outburst, replenishing his depleted mana with the stone. This relentless use of his skill catapulted its level to its maximum. Additionally, he honed his other demonic abilities, becoming proficient in their execution.

  He was pleased with his progress. However, his routine of absorbing mana from the stones had caused a rapid depletion of their numbers, as Beelzebub also began consuming them at a faster pace due to his growing anger.

  "At this rate, that bastard will devour them all before I do," Alex lamented like a child robbed of his cherished candy.

  Determined to strengthen his resolve, he decided to launch an attack against the demons. A frontal assault would have been unwise, so he devised a plan to sow discord and incite a war among their ranks, reaping the rewards of their chaos.

  The scarcity of mining work had given the demons more time to interact, and their conversations often revolved around the allure of blood, the torment of human suffering, or the glory of the demon lords. Alex found the topics abhorrent, but he needed only a few gullible souls to spread his fabricated tales.

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  Soon, rumors spread like wildfire: a certain demon was hoarding stones to earn favor with Beelzebub, while another was about the presence of an alluring female demon among them whose charms surpassed all others. The demons were intrigued by these gossipy diversions, a deviation from their usual focus on mining and toil.

  Rumors spread like wildfire. The mere thought of a female demon sent a wave of ecstatic anticipation through the demon ranks; every demon eagerly hoped to find her. It was the norm for all S-rank demons, particularly those who worked in the mines, to be male. The demon race had a low female population, and most female demons served as attendants to the demon kings. Since the demon kings possessed the ability to create demons, the need for sexual reproduction had diminished. However, the inherent pleasure of it was something the demons couldn't resist.

  The demons were in a frenzy. The hunt for the female demon intensified with each passing moment. Time had accustomed Alex to walking naked with his fellow demons. He could only smile wryly, watching with amusement as the frenzied demons scoured the area for the elusive female. The sight of a female demon would be exceedingly rare, and their eyes gleamed with anticipation, hoping to find her hidden amongst them.

  Suddenly, a thought struck him. While he had been chased by numerous women on Earth, the idea of being with them never truly occurred to him. He hadn't even contemplated a future with anyone. But now, with this new chance at life, the possibility of finding a wife in this world seemed appealing. He reasoned that he could probably only marry someone of his own species, a thought that still shocked him every time he looked at his own impressive physique. However, the thought of being with an ugly demon—he hadn't seen any female demons yet, but couldn't help imagining them as uglier than chihuahuas—quickly dispelled the notion. He snapped out of his reverie. "Guess that comes later," he muttered to himself. "Right now, getting stronger and evolving is the priority." He then resumed his work.

  With a few carefully chosen words, the demons, whose attention had wandered from their mining duties, grew aggressive. The rumor, one of many spread by Alex, claimed that someone had found the female demon and was hiding her. He relentlessly fueled the already intense flames of hatred and envy among the demons. Word quickly spread that the female demon could only be won through displays of strength; whoever proved the strongest would naturally claim her.

  The demons could contain themselves no longer. Alex patiently awaited the eruption of their anger, the beginning of a new war to test their strength. A sudden clash between two demons ignited the conflict. One immediately pounded the other with brutal punches, tearing his skin and smashing his skull with a short axe. Fascinated onlookers joined the fray, unleashing battle cries as they rushed upon each other, grabbing and striking. Without a common enemy to focus on, they fell into Alex's trap, blinded by his lies, and tore each other apart.

  "Finally," Alex said to himself, a triumphant grin spreading across his face, "the perfect opportunity." He could have simply collected the fallen, harvested their hearts for consumption, and been done with it. But a surge of destructive energy, a desire to utterly defeat all who stood before him, possessed him.