---
Blood ran down the captive's neck. His legs almost gave out, but Sekhmet held him upright for one more heartbeat and thought inwardly with precision.
"System, start the Level Two; Lesser vampire transformation."
The system answered at once.
[Ding! SYSTEM Notification: The Host's command accepted.
Target qualifies for the transformation.
Lesser Vampire creation initiated…]
Then the man screamed. Not from the bite. But from what came after it.
His whole body convulsed like something had just reached down through his blood and gripped his skeleton directly. He fell to his knees, his hands clawing at the ground. Veins darkened visibly beneath the skin of his throat and face. His back arched. His teeth ground together so hard that even the other prisoners flinched from the sound of it.
The transformation did not explode upward like Lily's had.
It did not create a great shockwave or crimson womb. This was cleaner. Lower. Cruder in some ways, but more controlled.
