Are they trying to say suffering builds character, or is Ray just a jerk? Honestly I don't care too much about either hero, and I don't think we need this characterization of Ray given the implications from his past exploits. All this is really doing is confirming to the reader that Ray is together with the group that it was previously suggested he was with.
I read it as the hero being a power that just corrupts you into being a psychopath like ray. Meaning the new hero will probably be worse once he gets his shit together.
Ray is the example of the scenario of one single person accumulating all the power the world can give.
It's like either your power go berserk, or you the wielder will go insane/deranged .
I’m starting to think the humans are really horrible people that went on a one sided genocide against the demons and other non humans. With hero ray probably having a kill boner from the very beginning.