The Epic Star Ocean was now filled with faint green mist, which was not natural but toxic, and the closer someone went toward the boundary of the Star Ocean, the thicker this mist would become.
Even the marine beasts were avoiding these areas and migrating toward the clear and radiation-free waters of the epic star ocean.
At this moment, something invisible seemed to be flying within the radioactive mist, leaving behind strong after waves. They were heading toward the western coasts of the Alive Plains and only a hundred miles away from it.
This person was naturally Jacob in stealth over the gray disc. However, if someone sees him right now, they would definitely take him as a toxic zombie.
Because his skin was greenish, crumbly, and charred, not even a trace of hair was present on his face, which now has no skin as if it was peeled off by removing something, and he looked extremely spooky without any eyelids, lips, nose, or ears, even worse than a zombie. Even his amber eyes were now filled with green and red veins.
But the strangest thing was his body looked still fine as he still wore his windbreaker and pants.
However, Jacob knew better than anyone that the skin of his hands showing right now was not his actual skin but the armor's layer. His actual skin was just like his bald head right now, but not as bad.
Although he managed to escape alive from that explosion, the price he had to pay for it was something he wasn't expected. Not only every other clothing, included his mask has been melted within a few minutes of that explosion, but it almost took his life as well.
If not for his fluid acceleration to continue to function his body system at high speed and turn those medicines into nutrition, he won't have come out of that explosion alive after only being poisoned and losing his face skin.
Nevertheless, his will to live was as tenacious as ever, and he didn't lose consciousness that day and continued to try to escape because if he did, he'd never wake.
The only thing he lost that day was the bronze disc, but he didn't care and started to chunk down everything and anything he had in his space rings or pendant. He had prepared and always replenished his supplies, and now it has come in extremely handy and become the main factor in keeping himself alive.
But the problem was, with fluid acceleration and his cursed heart, he could only hold back the poison from killing him for some time. The only good news was that he had been able to hold off this long because his cursed heart seemed to be completely fine from the radiation poisoning.
Yet the rest of his body wasn't at that point yet, and his skin and eyes, as well as his internal organs, were at the breaking point, and if he didn't find something to get rid of the poison fully, he'd die sooner than later.
This poison was also the main reason his body wasn't healing properly. If it were under the capacity of his healing capability, he would've been already healed with how much he had consumed already.
Now, he was already on his final stash of food and medicine, even herbs, and he was sure he wouldn't get any help the moment he arrived at the epic plains.
Instead, he didn't dare to contact anyone or use his star watch anymore because he was afraid of getting found out again, and he was in no condition to face or use the same method to run away again.
So, the only method that came to Jacob's mind was another suicidal method which might or might not work at all, but this was the only shot and at least worth trying.
Looking at the lands grow closer and closer, Jacob's greenish eyes were filled with coldness and ruthlessness, 'I've become someone's slave, and then almost committed suicide just to live… all this for what, just to reach those damn lands? Heh, no amount of preparations can beat the unknown, and no amount of happiness can get rid of the mental scar of the past…'
Jacob felt extremely calm despite the pain and suffering he had been experiencing for days now. In fact, he sensed becoming indifferent to that pain, and his mind was getting colder and calmer the more he felt it.
Now that he was dancing on the edge of life and death, he experienced that running away from death would only make it come faster. But that was his goal; that's why he needed a new approach, and a strange feeling started to rise in his heart and mind.
Although he has no idea what sort of feeling this was but at least he could tell his humanity was slipping away, and he didn't want to stop it. Instead, he wanted to embrace it and turn it into an empty vessel that could be filled with anything at his own behest.
'Death will never stop following me, and I will not stop running until I have the power to confront it. But before that, I need death to be somewhere I can see it but at a safe distance so it won't sneak up abruptly…'
Because of Jacob's skinless face, it was hard to tell if he was sad or happy or just lamenting at his own thoughts. But he knew if he managed to survive this, he'll never be the same, and once he returned, he'll be the death of those who made him this way!
When Jacob was over ten miles away from the land, he stopped and looked down at the ocean again, which was still raging with strong waves.
'This much depth should be enough. I hope the water can help me push the poison out or at least provide me with pure oxygen to fight it. I always end up being distracted from completing the Water Meditation for some strange reason.
'But this time, it's my only hope for survival and prolonging my life, just like it once was in the past…'
With a hint of nostalgia, the gray disc under his feet vanished, and he directly dived into the water before vanishing in its depth!