Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Preparing To Strike Back (Part 8)
She hesitated for just a second, then leaned over the side of the desk, positioning herself awkwardly beside Trixie. Her face was flushed, her eyes tightly shut, and she couldn\'t bring herself to look at Don. "L-Like this?" she stammered.
Don approached, moving to stand directly behind them both. He reached out with a hand to each of their behinds, gliding his palms over them in a slow, teasing motion. He could feel the immediate reactions—Trixie bit her lip, clearly enjoying the attention, while Elle stiffened like a board, her entire body shaking slightly under his touch.
\'She\'s so tense,\' Don thought, almost amused by the contrast. He lingered for a moment longer before pulling his hands away, stepping back. "Alright," he said with a smirk, "I guess I can let you off with a warning."
Trixie\'s eyes shot open, turning back to Don with a frustrated expression. "H-Hey!" she protested, clearly feeling cheated. In her mind, she\'d already been preparing for a good spanking. \'Wasn\'t my ass supposed to be sore by now?\' she thought, a pout forming on her lips.
Elle, on the other hand, let out a quiet sigh of relief and quickly stood up, straightening her body. But there was something in her posture that seemed… conflicted. Her shoulders were still a bit tense, and despite her initial relief, she looked a little disappointed. She wasn\'t sure what to feel.
These reactions may have seemed small, but for Don, they revealed plenty.
From them, he could tell that despite Elle\'s deep infatuation, she wasn\'t someone who would immediately jump into physical intimacy without some hesitation. She had spent so much time longing for his company, and now that she finally had it, she seemed unsure of how to move forward.
The man she had always envisioned by her side was here— conquering the world with her—and yet she appeared lost. \'Her dream is already a reality,\' Don thought. \'Now I can either make it better or ruin it, depending on how I act toward her.\'
Thanks to his [The Thinker] trait and his growing ability to read people, Don knew that rushing into anything physical wouldn\'t work with Elle.
Unlike with other girls, where things naturally progressed in that direction, Elle needed guidance. \'She\'s someone I\'ll need to train,\' Don concluded, \'but not with Trixie around.\'
Trixie would only push things further, maybe even too far. That wouldn\'t be productive.
Unaware of Don\'s inner thoughts, Elle stood nervously. She bit her lip, thinking she had disappointed him. Gathering her courage, she finally muttered, "I-It\'s okay if you… want to spank me…"
Don smiled at her timid response, shaking his head slightly. Trixie, ever the instigator, immediately supported Elle, "See? Even Elle wants it! So come on, get to it!"
Ignoring Trixie\'s urging, Don looked at Elle with a reassuring smile. "Don\'t worry. I\'ll get around to it eventually," he said in a playful tone. "After all, you\'re both very spankable."
Elle\'s cheeks burned bright red at his words, her eyes wide. \'I-I\'m spankable?\' she thought, her heart fluttering at the unexpected compliment…. If you could even call it that.
Deciding it was time to shift topics, Don straightened up, his tone becoming more serious. "Anyway, do you have the package?" he asked, glancing at her with a calm expression.
Still blushing, Elle nodded quickly. She hurried back behind the desk, crouching down to drag out a large metallic suitcase from underneath. "Here," she said quietly, sliding it across the floor before standing aside.
Don stepped forward, placing his thumbs on two visible fingerprint sensors on top of the suitcase.
A green scan passed over his hands, followed by another scan that targeted his face. **Beep**—a digital voice chimed, "Biometrics confirmed," and with a sharp snap, the suitcase clicked open.
A thin black mist began to seep out from the edges, swirling lightly in the air as the lights in the room flickered.
As the mist drifted, Don felt an uncomfortable sensation—like his heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand. He gritted his teeth and endured the uncomfortable feeling, pushing the suitcase open wider.
Inside was a carefully sealed inner glass casing, and at the center, resting like a strange, otherworldly artifact, was a black, slimy blob. It wasn\'t much bigger than a walnut, but the energy it gave off was unmistakably powerful.
\'That\'s it?\' Don thought, his eyes narrowing. But then, a prompt suddenly appeared before him.
———
**Special Item Found.**
———
**Item Profile: Arcane Voidweaver Suit**
- **Item Class:** Mystical Artifact (Cosmic Origin)
- **Power Source:** Arcane energy, fueled by the consumption of souls
- **Activation Command:** "Enshroud"
**Appearance (Dormant):** A black blob-like substance that attaches to the user\'s skin, forming a sleeve tattoo of a strange skull on the right arm.
**Appearance (Activated):** Upon command, the tattoo releases a black mist that engulfs the user, forming a black and gold bodysuit. The skull from the tattoo transforms into a fearsome gold and black skull face mask.
**Origin:**
The Arcane Voidweaver Suit is an ancient artifact from the far reaches of space, believed to have been created by an unknown race of arcane entities. Legends say it was designed as both a weapon and a vessel of conquest, capable of adapting to and empowering its wearer with unmatched abilities. The suit feeds on souls, drawing its strength from the energy of those it consumes.
**Abilities:**
1. **Shadow Manipulation:**
The wearer gains the ability to control and shape shadows, bending them to their will. These shadows can be used both offensively and defensively, forming constructs, weapons, or barriers.
2. **Voidstep (Teleportation):**
The suit grants the ability to teleport short to medium distances by stepping through the "void," a dimension between dimensions.
———
As Don read the contents of the prompt, he felt a sense of awe mixed with a cold realization.
This suit wasn\'t just some regular suit like he hoped—it was something far more dangerous, something that could potentially shape his future plans. He could feel the power radiating from it, even though it was dormant for now.
\'I have to be careful with this,\' Don thought, his gaze lingering on the slimy blob. \'This thing could either make me unstoppable or completely consume me.\'