In this chapter, we learn that the Underground Man is not a hero. He's just delusional. He says that there's no god in the world, and that if you just pray with your heart, you'll find peace. People have been saved, he says. The Underground Man says that he prayed with his friends at the convent, where they were orphans. They were miserable, but they devoted themselves to God every day. One day, all of their nuns burned down the convent. The nuns were all pious, and they served God much better than they did. The fact that he's alive now means that people can't ask for salvation for their own selfish gain. He also says that the only thing that can make people stronger is for them to ask for it. The only way to make people strong is to force them to work harder and harder for themselves. In other words, if you want to be a hero, you have to be stronger than the people you're trying to save.