Chapter 7

As the clock struck midnight, Nyx and his system, Jujo, were huddled together, reviewing their master plan. Jujo's voice echoed in the silence, "The apocalypse has begun, host. The transformation stage is underway for all Earth's inhabitants."

Nyx nodded solemnly, his gaze fixed on the desolate streets below. The city was eerily quiet, save for a few unfortunate souls and stray dogs succumbing to the coma stage. He waited patiently in his room for an hour, observing the calm before the storm. Satisfied that no immediate danger was present, he made his move.

"Jujo," he commanded, "scan the parking lot and find us a suitable vehicle."

"Are we resorting to grand theft auto now?" Jujo asked incredulously.

"What's the alternative? Wait for zombies to overrun us and then fight over scraps with survivors?"

"Well," Jujo retorted, "other hosts are battling tooth and nail for survival. Meanwhile, you're living on an easy street. It's a bit dull."

Jujo's voice trailed off towards the end, fearing Nyx's wrath. It conveniently forgot that Nyx could hear its every word.

"Are you really my system? How can you say such things? You want me to suffer?"

"Only a fool would let this golden opportunity slip away. Enough chit-chat. Follow me."

Their bickering continued all the way to the parking lot. There, Nyx spotted a sleek Mercedes-Benz G-Class - a vehicle fit for a king.

"Feast your eyes on this black beauty," Nyx whistled appreciatively.

"Host, can I drive? Please?" Jujo pleaded with puppy dog eyes.

"You can drive?"

"Of course, I can drive."

Nyx shrugged and handed over the reins to Jujo. 'What could possibly go wrong?' he thought. Little did he know that he was about to embark on the ride of his life.

Jujo drove like a maniac, treating every road like a Formula One track. When they finally arrived at their destination, Nyx stumbled out of the car and promptly threw up.

"You're banned from driving any vehicles," he declared weakly.

"What? Why? I drove excellently! We even arrived early!"

"You still ask why?" Nyx was too livid to form coherent sentences.

"I value my life. You're never touching the steering wheel again."

Jujo sulked in silence as they entered the supermarket. They gathered essential items like toothpaste, brushes, dried foods, and cooking utensils and stored them in Jujo's space. They also set up traps to deter zombies.

After stocking up on food and spices, they headed to the mall. Nyx raided a high-end clothing shop and picked out all his favorite outfits. He also grabbed towels, socks, winter coats, shoes, and tent tools. On their way out, he spotted a watch in a jewelry shop and swiped it without a second thought.

"Why did you steal the watch?" Jujo asked accusingly.

"Haha…you see," Nyx began with a mischievous grin on his face, "I accepted this mission to save the world out of pure selflessness. I wanted to reward myself with this watch. It's not stealing."

"Do I look stupid?" What a vicious bastard.

After satisfying his shopping spree, they headed to the biggest hospital nearby. With Jujo's help, they packed everything they might need in the future - oxygen tanks, vending machines, heart monitors, medicines - essentially an entire hospital into Jujo's space and left.

As the hands of the clock swept past the sixth hour, Nyx found himself in the plush comfort of his suite room. The world outside was still, caught in the throes of a transformation that would soon awaken its inhabitants from their coma-like state. Only five hours remained before this metamorphosis would be complete.

Nyx peered out of his window, his gaze piercing the pre-dawn darkness. The sky was a canvas of inky black, devoid of any hint of the sun's imminent rise. He felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him - a testament to the day's events. Recognizing the need to replenish his energy and rejuvenate his spirit, he decided to surrender to a few hours of rest.

In the heart of a silent apartment building, something extraordinary was taking place. A man, attractive and in the prime of his youth, was sprawled out on the cold, hard floor. His life had been that of an ordinary office worker, filled with the monotony of routine tasks and endless paperwork. But as his eyes slowly opened, they sparkled with a cleverness that seemed out of place for someone with such a mundane job.

He took his time to observe his surroundings, committing every little detail to memory. His eyes widened in surprise and disbelief as he began to comprehend the extent of the change that had taken place within him. A mysterious smile slowly spread across his face - a smile that hinted at a hidden power. This wasn't just any ordinary change. It was the emergence of a new force in a world that was teetering on the brink of chaos.

Slowly but surely, Eric picked himself up from the floor. He walked over to his window and looked out at the world outside. Everything seemed to be frozen in time as if someone had hit the pause button on a TV remote. He couldn't help but grin at the sight, a sense of excitement coursing through his veins.

With a newfound confidence in his voice, he whispered to himself,

"I'm back."

But this wasn't just any return. This was the comeback of someone who was ready to take on the world and its challenges. The world outside might have been paused, but inside Eric, a new story was just beginning.