The third and final inspection didn’t start immediately.

  To accompany the Hero from the very beginning, instead of interfering in the middle of their adventure, we had to wait for him to regress.

  “Hmm? Have you gotten rid of your motley powers?”


  “Yeah, I tidied up a bit.”


  We remained on standby in the waiting room until Satan returned to the starting point.

  In fact, the 100th floor of the Demon Lord’s Tower was nothing more than a lavish reception area with living quarters.

  Disco spent most of her time looking around through a telescope on the terrace.

  “Although the Heroes I’ve inspected have disappointed me, I really like this world,” She said out of nowhere. “The inhabitants of Fantasy live happily and without fear even though their world could be destroyed in an instant.”


  “What kind of destruction are we talking about?”


  “Planets and dimensions are erased from existence more easily and frequently than you probably think. Even with one wave of her pillow, an innocent goddess could ignore causality and cause the microcosm to disappear without a trace. That is the truth behind the fragile universe we live in.”


  “That sounds ridiculous.”


  Destruction of the world with a wave of a pillow?

  The microcosm that Disco was talking about seemed to be made of paper.

  She smiled bitterly.

  “Indeed, but as ridiculous as it sounds, it is nothing short of our reality. Even if deities were to stop obliterating worlds, they still often instantly perish due to natural phenomena.”


  “And how is this related to the happiness of Fantasy’s inhabitants?”


  “Think of the difference between knowing and not knowing that you live in a house built on the edge of a cliff. In this sense, this world’s locals live in ecstasy brought by ignorance.”


  “I guess.”


  This story wasn’t useful to me, so I didn’t attach much importance to it.

  As I waited for the third inspection to begin, I relaxed, caressing Ssosiel’s pelvis while she was caring for our little son.

  … But the wait took longer than I thought.

  ? Satan: I’ve now passed the 70th floor, where, as I said before, the former Demon Lord Pedonar resides. I’m now moving to the 80th floor.

  ? Zeus: You make it sound like you’re out for a walk in the park.

  ? Allah: Please upload a photo confirming your words, Satan ^^

  ? Luke: Senior Satan, I would really appreciate it if you could post a detailed guide in the community.

  ? Odin: Do you actually believe him?

  Hero Satan prevailed against the 70th Floor Boss, albeit with difficulty.

  He then slowly and carefully climbed from the 71st to the 80th floor.

  Hopefully, he wouldn’t make it to 100th.

  I was already looking forward to his defeat.

  “Would you like some popcorn, husband?”


  “Sure.”


  I watched Satan challenge the 80th-floor boss while eating popcorn.

  The boss of the 80th floor was himself.

  Its appearance, abilities, and equipment were a complete copy of what Satan had.

  But that wasn’t all.

  The power of friendship!

  The 80th-floor boss who copied the Hero had companions.

  Fallen Saint Z.

  Fallen Mage Z.

  Fallen Warrior Z.

  Fallen Assassin Z.

  Fallen Archer Z.

  Not only were they extremely powerful, but they showed great coordination and role distribution.

  Archer Z attacked from afar, Mage Z used medium-ranged spells, Slayer Z exuded violence in melee combat, Warrior Z defended the entire group, and Saint Z was responsible for healing and resurrection.

  Their teamwork was flawless!

  As for Satan…


  “Hmm…”


  “This situation is quite dangerous, sir Satan,” said the great explorer Green Cake, who now looked like a muscular guy due to Satan’s tastes.

  He chose that image over a beautiful woman because of the great importance the Hero attached to efficiency.

  “Try to hold out until I defeat my copy.”


  “I will do my best.”


  “I won’t take long.”


  “They seem to have already noticed that you’re in a hurry though. Your copy most likely understands your thoughts better than anyone.”


  “…”


  “Good luck.”


  ***

  ? Satan: The 80th-floor boss is your clone, and it’s supported by five individuals fulfilling various roles.

  ? Allah: Don’t lie. That sounds ridiculous.

  ? Zeus: His imagination never ceases to amaze me.

  ? Odin: Sounds interesting.

  ? Isis: Did you manage to defeat the 80th-floor boss, senior?

  “Excuse me, Hero, are you listening to me?”


  “Yeah. You want me to stop Demon Lord Parmamon before he fully resurrects.”


  “I was worried because you were fiddling with your little magic tool, but thank you very much for your attention. I am the first princess of the Holy Empire… Hero? Are you listening to me?”


  “I am.”


  Upon failing to break through the 80th floor, Hero Satan regressed back to the Holy Empire on the Central Continent to start his journey from scratch once more.

  He immediately prepared to leave the capital of the Holy Empire, but that alone proved difficult.

  Karma D → Karma C

  The disgusting skill my cowardly wife introduced in the 4th curriculum never rolled back. Instead, its negative effects on the Hero’s reputation and the locals’ conviction and attitude towards them only worsened with each restart.

  “Please wait, Hero.”


  “… You’re more vigilant this time. I have no intention of abandoning the empire to its fate, princess. I’m trying to prepare in advance precisely because I know what future awaits it.”


  “You know the future…?”


  “Yes. You most likely won’t believe me, but let me tell you a little about it.”


  “Ah…”


  Hero Satan did not hide the fact that he regressed, but rather, he actively took advantage of this.

  Were the other heroes really so stupid they couldn’t think of such an effective method?

  Not really.

  ? Race: Human of Infinity

  ? Level: 9999+

  ? Job: Hero (Experience 500%)

  ? Skills: Harmony G, Divinity ZZZ, Dark Energy ZZZ, Spirit ZZ, Fabrication ZZ, Strength ZZ, Immunity Z, Dexterity Z, Incitement Z, Recovery Z, Five Senses Z, Reputation Z, Favor Z, Inspiration Z, Luck Z, Wisdom MAX…


  ? Status: Sacred Relic, Blessing

  Although he only had a small number of skills, he was by no means weak.

  Hero Satan used ZZZ-rank Divinity and ZZZ-rank Dark Energy in perfect equilibrium through his Harmony skill, which had reached the realm of gods.

  I used to enjoy a similar effect caused by my Chaos skill, but his Harmony was much better in terms of safety.

  Naturally, he utilized Fabrication and Incitement for his speeches.

  His skills were well-balanced.

  “We need to figure out a way to join Satan naturally.”


  “My wife will take care of it.”


  “Alright. I’ll trust her then.”


  “… Don’t expect much from her.”


  Hero Satan used various auxiliary skills to compensate for “Karma” and further convinced the princess.

  After that, he leisurely left the capital and began to act autonomously.

  Of course, he didn’t just wander blindly.

  Raising his gaze to the heavens, he roared.

  “Great explorer Green Cake! I know you want to be recognized by your father! If you help me with my adventure, I will give you advice to help you fulfill your dream!”


  “… I can’t just ignore such a persuasive proposal.”


  “Since you showed up so quickly, can I take it as your approval?”


  “Yes, but this confuses me a little. I know very little about you, but you already know me so well.”


  “I fought shoulder to shoulder with you and was defeated on the 80th floor of the Demon Lord’s Tower.”


  “80th floor! Oh, that’s a pity…” my adopted son skillfully answered.

  Every time he regressed with the Hero, Green Cake’s memories disappeared, but he received all the information he needed through his mollanphone.

  Of course, that was a secret.

  The students who considered him as their guide and companion weren’t aware of that.

  “I gathered many companions and challenged the Demon Lord’s tower. I made it that far by sacrificing them, but during my last playthrough, I learned the 80th floor can only be beaten by reducing the number of my party’s casualties to a minimum.”


  “I see. This time, you want to make every effort to ensure that not only you, but also your companions survive.”


  “Exactly.”


  Satan explained his plan to Green Cake.

  Having overheard his skillful planning, I calmed down.

  Finally! A real hero!

  It felt like the wounds Sieg and Aladdin left on my heart had been healed.

  “He’s an exemplary hero, and he’s already climbed all the way to the 80th floor. Am I correct in assuming he has the highest marks in the entire Fantasy Institution?”


  “I’m not sure. You should ask my wife instead.”


  “Perhaps later. We need to focus on joining his party right now.”


  We thought we’d meet him somewhere along his way, as if it was a coincidence, but Ssosiel offered us another way.

  Unlike the other heroes who had mountains of exploitable flaws, Satan was too clever and cautious. He would ask questions and immediately notice inconsistencies.

  Hence, he received a prophecy instead.

  “This is the first time I’ve experienced this…”


  “That’s not at all surprising. The goddess, remembering your previous playthrough, seems to praise you so highly for your valiant efforts that she’s left you a message.”


  “You will meet unusual companions that are aware of your regression.”


  “She didn’t say anything about when or where we’d meet them, but doesn’t this just mean that when the right time comes, they will appear before us themselves?”


  “That assumption is most likely correct.”


  Hero Satan accepted Green Cake’s explanation without any hesitation.

  The theme for the 80th floor was companions.

  The goddess, deciding that he was defeated due to his lack of comrades, decided to send powerful individuals to help him.

  That was exactly what Satan concluded.

  “I haven’t met him yet, but I can already feel my broken heart healing while watching him.”


  “I agree.”


  I didn’t like the fact that I shared the same thoughts with Disco, but I didn’t dare deny such an obvious fact.

  “Student Satan seems to have accepted our existence. Let’s stop spying and quickly join him.” She said.

  “We will when it’s convenient.”


  Finding that right moment proved difficult, however.

  There would’ve been no problem if he just stopped somewhere, but he seemed to be playing tag with us.

  Using the Spatial Transportation Magic Circle of the Holy Empire’s Wizard Tower, he instantly traveled to Port D of the Trade Republic, located to the east of the Central Continent.

  Naturally, it was to recruit a companion.

  In the harbor, Hero Satan approached a man waiting for a ship bound for the Southern Continent.

  Hero Satan approached him, addressing him:

  “Sir Kang Han Soo.”


  “… You know me?”


  “I do. Even your future. Would you like to join my adventure? If you do, I’ll make your wish come true. If you think I’m lying, you can break my spine at any moment.”


  “That’s an interesting offer, junior. Alright. I’ll listen to what you have to say.”


  Kang Han Soo usually was the one who went to his “junior”, meeting them during their adventure to help out.

  Of course, that wasn’t a coincidence.

  Green Cake was the mastermind behind such meetings, acting upon his desire to travel with “me.”


  But Satan chose to act first.

  He tracked down Kang Han Soo and encouraged him to join his party.

  “I will arrange for you to meet the woman you love.”


  “Haha! You guessed wrong. I want to go home.”


  “The reason you want to go home is because the family you love is waiting for you there. Am I wrong?”


  “… You’re right.”


  “In the past, you asked me, ‘If you ever regress and meet me again, help me realize my true desire sooner.’ It’s time I fulfill that request.”


  “What’s your name?”


  “Satan. I dream of breathing life into my native planet.”


  “… Okay. I believe you. However, can I really meet a woman whom I love so much to the point where I would forget about my own home planet? Oh! Could you tell me her name?”


  “That’s a secret. Letting you know ahead of time will change the future.”


  “Ha! You’re a strange hero!”


  “I suppose I am.”


  … I just realized it now.

  Was I going to have to watch Kang Han Soo and the Sword Princess’s honeymoon every day?

  Disco interrupted my thoughts.

  “We should join him now before we lose him, Adam.”


  “Adam?”


  “It’s your alias… You can’t introduce yourself as Parmamon, can you? I’m Eve. We’re twins. Do you have any objections?”


  “… No. Suit yourself.”


  Adam and Eve.

  The couple that committed the first sin.

  It was hard to dismiss it as a coincidence since it matched my divine power [Original Sin] so well, but I kept quiet about it to avoid making a fuss.

  It didn’t matter what my pseudonym was at this point.

  I’d have to watch Kang Han Soo and the Sword Princess flirt.

  … Tough days were coming.

  “Follow me, Adam. I can’t wait to meet the perfect embodiment of the word Hero.”


  “Don’t talk too much.”


  I was already used to the fact that if one were to expect something too hard, everything was bound to go wrong.

  Pretending to be siblings, we approached Hero Satan.