Chapter 186 Irreplaceable

The black convertible drifted silently in the middle of higher-dimensional space, resting on an invisible plane of pure conceptual force.

I leaned back against the leather seat, resting my arms over the door frame as I stared out into the infinite expanse around us.

It was a view that defied every law of physics I had ever learned in school. Floating in the higher-dimensional void were countless universes, each one glowing like a massive, swirling crystal sphere.

Inside every single one of those spheres lay an entire, infinite four-dimensional spacetime continuum filled with galaxies, stars, and planets.

What blew my mind was the paradox of it all. Back in the physical realm, scientists always talked about how the universe was infinite and constantly expanding.

Yet, standing here in this higher plane, I could clearly see where one universe ended and another began. They hung in space like glowing marbles separated by vast distances, completely distinct from one another.

No matter how much a four-dimensional universe expanded internally, its growth could never breach the higher-dimensional boundary isolating it from the rest of the multiverse.

Paige leaned against my shoulder, her long dark silk kimono draped loosely over her voluptuous frame. Her nine fluffy white fox tails switched rhythmically over the leather seats, occasionally brushing against my lap.

“Fascinating, isn’t it?” Paige murmured, her rich voice echoing softly in the quiet void. “This is how the cosmos actually works, Seth. There are countless dimensions and realities stacked on top of each other, far beyond what mortal minds can comprehend.”

She adjusted her silver reading glasses, looking out at the floating universes with a faint, amused smirk.

“Mortal species spend millennia fighting over tiny patches of dirt on a single planet,” Paige continued casually. “They convince themselves they are the absolute center of creation, chosen by divine destiny, completely oblivious to the fact that their entire universe is just one tiny bubble floating in an endless ocean. It’s almost hilarious how arrogant they are.”

I let out a quiet chuckle, resting my chin on my palm. “Can’t really blame them, Paige. When you’re trapped inside the box, it’s pretty hard to imagine what the outside looks like.”

I shifted in my seat, turning my gaze toward a cluster of vibrant, glowing spheres floating nearby. “So… does every single universe out here have its own set of gods and pantheons like ours?”

Paige shook her head, her white fox ears perking up as she looked at me. “Not at all, Host. In fact, the vast majority of universes out here are completely dead. Some are nascent, containing nothing but cold gas and unformed matter where life never took root. Others are ancient, undergoing heat death or spatial collapse. Universes have lifespans just like living organisms, they are born, they grow, and eventually, they die.”

She pointed a manicured black nail toward a faint, flickering universe in the distance.

“As for the universes that do contain intelligent life,” Paige added, “many of them never interact with foreign realms. Their top powerhouses either lack the means to break through the higher-dimensional boundary, or they actively choose to keep to themselves. High-tier, aggressive universes love to expand and consume lower-tier realities. So, weaker universes stay quiet to survive, while the most powerful ones, like the ones connected to Earth, form networks through spatial hubs like Uruk.”

I hummed in understanding, absorbing the information. “That makes sense. It’s basically cosmic natural selection.”

My mind drifted back to the conversation I had with the Devil Queen back at the stadium restaurant.

“Hey, Paige,” I asked, looking over at her. “Lucifer mentioned earlier that she used to erase worlds when she was bored. Did she actually obliterate entire universes back during the ancient wars?”

Paige let out a light, melodic laugh. “Oh, absolutely. During the primordial warring era, when the Archangel Michael and Lucifer clashed at full authority, the fallout was catastrophic. Their conceptual battles shattered multiple spacetime continuums, wiping out entire universes like collateral damage.”

She leaned her chin on her hand, her fluffy tails fanning out behind her. “That cataclysmic destruction is the main reason why the top pantheons don’t engage in full-scale wars anymore. The power levels of the top echelon are so absurd that an all-out war would risk unraveling the spatial structure of the entire sector.”

“Which is why Gilgamesh built the planetary barrier over Earth,” I muttered, connecting the dots. “He wanted to make sure humanity didn’t get turned into collateral damage if foreign gods decided to throw hands again.”

“Exactly,” Paige nodded approvingly. “King Gilgamesh’s barrier isolates Earth’s core spatial continuum. Only entities possessing absolute conceptual authority, like Zeus, Odin, or Lucifer, have the raw power required to force their way through it. But because those chief deities actively keep each other in check through political stalemates, nobody dares to make a move.”

I shook my head, a dry, incredulous smirk spreading across my face. “It’s pretty terrifying and hilarious at the same time. To think I was casually sharing cheeseburgers and chugging cola with a woman who has literally erased entire universes from existence.”

The moment those words left my mouth, Paige froze.

Her golden eyes narrowed slightly, and her fluffy fox ears twitched backward. She puffed out her cheeks, her long silk kimono rustling as her nine white tails swished back and forth in obvious annoyance.

“Hmph!” Paige huffed dramatically, crossing her arms beneath her lush bust and turning her head away from me.

I blinked, taken aback by her sudden change in mood. “Wait… what’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”

“Nothing,” Paige muttered in a flat, pouting tone. “I just think it’s hilarious how my Host keeps getting so hopelessly impressed by a mere fallen angel.”

“Mere fallen angel?” I teased, raising an eyebrow. “Paige, she’s the Devil Queen.”

“She’s just a high-tier entity who manages a slice of Nether authority!” Paige harrumphed, her vertical golden pupils flashing. “You talk about her erasing universes as if it’s some incredible, mind-blowing achievement!”

Before I could even respond, Paige casually raised her right hand. She pointed her index finger out toward a cluster of three barren, collapsing universes floating what looked like miles away in the higher-dimensional void.

SNAP.

She didn’t cast a spell. She didn’t channel mana. She didn’t even blink.

The moment her finger flicked, the three massive four-dimensional universes instantly vanished. They didn’t explode, they didn’t collapse into black holes, and they didn’t leave a single trace of debris behind.

They were simply, permanently erased from the fabric of existence, as if someone had taken an eraser and wiped them off a chalkboard.

Paige lowered her hand, blowing lightly on her index finger as if cooling down a gun barrel. She looked back at me with a supremely arrogant, smug smirk, her fluffy ears perking up proudly.

“See?” Paige boasted, tilting her chin up. “I can erase universes effortlessly without causing a single ripple or making a mess! I am infinitely superior to Lucifer in every measurable metric!”

I stared at the empty space where three entire universes had existed a second ago, then looked back at Paige’s smug, gorgeous face.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I threw my head back and let out a loud, genuine burst of laughter that echoed through the quiet vehicle.

“AHAHAHA!” I laughed, shaking my head in utter amusement. “Unbelievable! Paige… are you seriously getting jealous of Lucifer?!”

“I am not jealous!” Paige protested instantly, her face flushing a faint, adorable pink. “I am simply making sure my Host understands his system’s absolute dominance! You shouldn’t be giving other women your awe when you have me right beside you!”

“Fair enough,” I chuckled warmly.

I reached out, wrapping my arm around her narrow waist and gently pulling her off the passenger seat and straight into my lap.

Paige gasped softly, her mature body sinking against my chest as her long silk kimono drapes pooled over my legs. Her nine fluffy white tails wrapped around my waist and shoulders, enveloping both of us in a soft, silky cocoon of warmth.

I reached up, placing my hand behind her soft fox ears, and began gently scratching her sweet spot.

“Ah… mmm…” Paige let out a low, helpless purr, her smug demeanor melting instantly. Her eyelids fluttered half-closed, a sweet, deeply affectionate flush spreading across her cheeks as her head leaned comfortably into my hand.

I scratched behind her ears, gently stroking her soft white fur as I looked down into her gorgeous face.

“You really don’t have any reason to feel jealous, Paige,” I said softly, my tone turning genuine and warm. “I mean it.”

Paige opened one eye, looking up at me through her silver reading glasses. “Oh? Are you attempting to charm your way out of trouble, Seth?”

“I’m just telling the truth,” I smiled, leaning down slightly so my face was only inches from hers. “I love Yerin, Yoona, and Val. I love my family, and I care about them deeply. But you… you’re different.”

I ran my thumb gently across her cheekbone. “You’ve been with me from the absolute start, back when I had nothing in that cramped apartment. You share my consciousness, you know every single thought in my head, and you’re the one who gave me the freedom to live my life the way I want. My girlfriends and my family are irreplaceable, but you’re in a category all your own. Nobody in existence could ever replace you, Paige.”

Silence fell over the convertible.

Paige stared up at me, her vertical golden pupils expanding into massive, round circles.

The subtle flush on her cheeks deepened into a radiant, fiery crimson that spread all the way down to her neck. Her fluffy white tails curled tightly around my back, hugging me close as her breath fanned warm against my lips.

For a moment, the sarcastic, chaotic and horny system companion completely vanished, leaving behind a breathtakingly beautiful woman looking at me with pure affection.

“Gosh…” Paige whispered softly, her smooth voice carrying a rare, breathless tremor as a small, stunning smile curved her lips. “…if you keep talking to me like that, Host… I’m going to fall for you so hard that even my system coding won’t be able to handle it.”

“Good,” I grinned, giving her fox ears one last affectionate scratch. “That’s the plan.”

Paige giggled softly, leaning her head up to press a sweet, lingering kiss against my cheek, her fluffy tails swishing happily around us in the higher-dimensional light.

“You’re a smooth operator, Seth Fernando,” Paige purred against my neck, cuddling deeper into my chest. “Alright, I’ll forgive you for complimenting Lucifer’s universe erasing. But next time, you better compliment me first!”

“Deal,” I chuckled, wrapping my arms around her as we floated peacefully in the center of the cosmos.