Aarav’s final option was to stop using Consume Blorenar and save the Mana when he started Assimilating the leg. The difficulty was that he did not know when Consuming Blorenar’s +10% Assimilation chance activated. Was it instant, or did it only active once the full boost had been reached, 100 minutes after activation? It was simple enough to mitigate the issue by activating the World Talent two hours before Assimilating, so he needed enough 110 Mana for that.

Ultimately this last one carried the lowest amount of risk but would significantly reduce the amount of experience he gained from the process towards levelling Greater Consume. He would start without the Talent and then see what Haemish said about the Mana potion when he returned. He knew that if he wanted to Assimilate the leg, he would need to Consume all of it. Aarav likewise did not know if Assimilate would work if he Consumed the limb in multiple sittings. He had assumed that was the case but never tested the alternative. Maybe this was a chance to do so, though he wasn’t sure that something as essential as a leg was the best device for a test run.

Aarav reaffirmed in his mind that his regenerative abilities were what needed the most work, and then he stopped Consume Blorenar. It had not ramped up yet, so there was minimal Mana consumption. The loss of the +500% experience and +100% Greater Consumption speed galled him, but he had to make sacrifices! He would wait to see what Haemish said before committing. Less Experience, for now, was okay if it meant guaranteed success later.

He was at it for about an hour, making slow progress when he heard noise from outside. Then the door to his room slowly opened, and Haemish’s head poked in. “I need another Mana potion if you want this to go faster.” Aarav quickly said without preamble.

“Hmph, that's all I’m good for to you, Mana and Stamina potions and Health?” Haemish muttered as he retreated. When he returned, he held a Mana potion, but it was a lot duller than the ones from before. “You can have this one, but it is not very useful. I can’t spare any more of those others! As I said earlier, you are using too many, and too much of a good thing is bad for you. This one won’t have the same mesmerising effect, and it restores one thousand Mana or so, a reasonable amount. The only drawback is that it takes about four hours, which is prolonged. Then again, you are very slow; maybe you can make use of it? Regardless of what you say, it is this or nothing!”

Aarav looked at his status:

Current

Max

Regen / hr

Health

739.00

739.00

1.60

Stamina

244.00

274.00

1.66

Mana

252.00

562.00

3.97

Then looked at Haemish, then back at his Status and then nodded, 1000 Mana! Inside, Aarav was screaming in celebration and cringing at how powerful this individual must be if he regarded 1000 Mana over 4 hours as worthless. The potion would be perfect for his purposes. He could see that that would be wholly worthless in a fight, but here? He couldn’t have asked for better. He could take it in a little while as he would not need that much Mana immediately and didn’t want to waste any of it.

Haemish misinterpreted his gaze for the first time. “Even if it is weak, you are going to have to get used to it! This potion is all I will give you for a while; those full restore potions are expensive and can have adverse effects! I hope you understand what I am saying.” He seemed to be working himself up. Aarav quickly put out a bone hand to soothe him.

“It’s fine! I will make do with this potion. I am sure it will be enough for now. Not to worry.” He must have forgotten what it is like to be weak. There is no way everyone he knows is that strong. If that were the case, then Aarav would have one hell of a time at the academy, that was certain. “Thank you, Haemish. I appreciate the help. I will handle things from here.”

With that, Haemish curtly nodded and left him to it. Somehow, Haemish didn’t seem to mind the dismissal from his lab. Instead, he used the opportunity to get his temper under control and retreat. I wonder what he meant?

But there was no point in speculating; Aarav needed to maintain focus. With the potion ready, the Slime finally had enough Mana at his disposal to make a go at the leg. He activated Consume Blorenar and took the limb apart bite by bite.

Aarav had started in the evening and took the potion when he had only 100 Mana left. Still, he worked through the night, Haemish came and went several times, but it was the most rewarding nine hours he had endured in a while.

Your Skill Greater Consume has increased to Level 29!

…

Your Skill Greater Consume has increased to Level 35!

Consume Blorenar was brilliant, and he had finished with more Mana than he started with thanks to the big man’s potion! 6 Levels for just one leg! He made a mental note to check if the man had a stash of failed potions somewhere in that special storage of his. There is no way I am not taking advantage of this. He would make sure he had one of Haemish’s failed potions each time he Consumed. Could he make failed Mana Potions too?

In a way, Aarav was lucky that Greater Consume continued to gain experience and level even if the Assimilation process sucked up the Weight, but it made sense. The process gave him understanding, not the act. He still had to Greater Consume the part before attempting to Assimilate.

You have Assimilated 1 Human Leg (Skeleton Only, Left) and gained the ability Leg of Bone Level 1. Congratulations! Your back Left Earth and Sky Leg has morphed into a Leg of Bone! Dexterity and strength of leg and foot will improve with Level. By acquiring a Leg Appendage, you have gained the Melee Skill Bone Kick Level 1! Without muscle, you can control your leg with Mana @ 0.2MP per minute!

Congratulations! You have gained the Melee Skill Bone Kick Level 1! Strike with your leg and foot, but be careful not to lose your balance! Damage increases with Level. Stamina Consumption slightly reduces with Level!

After a few moments to celebrate the success, Aarav looked at the remaining leg; he had been going non-stop for almost three-quarters of a day and was exhausted. Aarav yawned to show how tired he was, though there was no one else in the room and then, using newly minted arms, he turned the door handle and hopped through on his freshly acquired leg.

It was hard to describe the feeling of being “back on his own two feet” if there was only one foot and that foot consisted of just bones. Aarav was confident it wouldn’t be long now.

That was until he popped his head out of the door and promptly crashed to the floor. Bits of bone breaking off and sliding under tables and chairs. It was a far cry from the glorious return Aarav had envisioned when he did manage to reclaim a semblance of the human form.

He lost health though in the crash, and enthusiasm waned in the face of broken bones' sharp and familiar pain. The pain lasted a long time, and he had managed to break both arms and the leg in multiple places. After all, they were still very fragile.

However, there was no need to panic. Haemish and Taler had run over quickly upon hearing the crash. They helped Aarav in scooping up the broken bits, which turned to slime in their hands, and returning them to Aarav for them to reform into his body.

Your Skill Pain Resistance has increased to Level 7!

“Where are Marteen and Rion?” once all his parts were back, he could breathe a little easier. His voice was still a bit hoarse from the pain, or maybe that was just his voice.

“Oh, are you certain you’re alright?” Taler eyed Aarav with concern. “You were, um, for lack of a better word, broken?”

“No, totally, fine man!” the Slime injected some bravado into the words. I may have fallen flat. Fake it till you make it!

“Right.” It was clear from the younger’s voice. Taler was not convinced. The older couldn’t care less as long as Aarav said he was fine. It was enough. “Yeah, Marteen and Rion are off doing their other stuff. Blacksmithing and Bodyguarding, respectively!” What did bodyguarding entail in this world? A high profession!

Interestingly, Haemish scoffed at the word and returned his attention to Aarav. “Aside from the awful performance we all just witnessed, I would say that things are going well?” Aarav nodded emphatically, head in the middle of three limbs made of bone, now reformed but with the central ball on the floor. Aarav looked like a spider with five limbs missing and struggling to get to grips, with arms almost as long as the legs and no head to speak of, only body.