The relentless stabbing continued, waves of excruciating pain coursing through Alex. After a certain number of strikes, the demon would force a stone into his mouth, sealing the wounds and making the knives disappear.

  The torture resumed, the demon pulling new knives from the subspace, each stab more precise than the last. Alex soon realized that the subspace could materialize any torturous object the demon imagined, and he could shift weapons, maximizing the pain while minimizing the actual physical damage.

  After what felt like an eternity, Alex could no longer contain his anguish. Tears welled in his swollen eyes, his only means of expressing the torment he endured. His body trembled uncontrollably as the demon’s shadow, looming over him, seemed to morph into a grim and heartless representation of his tormentor. "Wow, you really made me work hard to get those tears out at last," the demon said, his heavy breath falling on Alex’s neck, causing him to whimper.

  "Ding!" As if hearing the sound of a savior, Alex instantly lifted his head, the fear momentarily receding.

  A surge of positive energy coursed through him, and a smile spread across Alex’s face, despite the knives still piercing his body. His eyes widened with manic glee. His smile was not one of madness, but one of joy. The torture, he realized, had been worth it; it had pushed him to the breaking point, completing the experience points needed for a full S+ evolution. The tormentor, witnessing Alex's crazy grin, felt a chill. He thought highly of Alex, saying, "Well, I'm glad you're that happy with my training, but we're done here." He snapped his fingers, and the shadows binding Alex to the chair vanished.

  Already in the process of evolving, Alex unleashed a guttural roar as the bindings disappeared, making him appear as a demon consumed by pure rage. "Interesting," the demon remarked. "The faces of the demons I see after the training are usually teary and filled with fear. But this pure rage I see in you makes you a masterpiece of my efforts." He happily praised Alex, pleased with his creation.

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  Meanwhile, Alex’s muscles and bones were undergoing a complete restructuring. His shiny bald head was finally sprouting beautiful black hair that quickly grew long and lush. The pain from the evolution was intense, but he suppressed his screams, his face contorting with both rage and agony.

  Managing to drag his feet, he rushed to open the door. The figure that emerged was truly transformed. He finally had the beautiful hair he desired, and his stats had increased beyond those of a standard S+ demon. Forgetting his fear and the torment he had endured, he couldn’t bear to look back. He fled from the cursed passageway, reaching the outer gates, where he found demons Ru and Bu collapsed on the ground, resting.

  *****

  On the surface world of Agnatus, powerful heroes were once again emerging, their strength and fame rivaling all who had come before. Among them was Eren, a half-elf, also reincarnated by the goddess.

  Eren happened to be one of the wealthy men's sons that Alex had killed on Earth. When he found himself before the goddess, and was told that he was being given a chance to reincarnate as a hero to save his new world from the demon lord, his reaction was one of utter disbelief and resentment.

  He cursed at the goddess, shouting, "Oh, fuck! Do you think I care? I don't want to be part of your hero's fight dramas! Just send me back to Earth, please! I have all of my father's wealth waiting for me!" Eren, arrogant and entitled, couldn't accept that his life as a rich kid had suddenly ended. He didn't appreciate the second chance he was about to receive, consumed by bitterness over his past life.

  The goddess, however, having lost her only viable candidate to serve as a hero, was forced to rely on him. She had managed to pull his soul, but now he was refusing to cooperate.

  Thus, she pleaded with him, offering rewards and promising to accept his terms. He could choose any power he wanted, and immediately return to Earth after defeating the demon kings.