Elena has temporarily postponed her submission plan for her new story because more pressing matters require her attention. The Occult Society believes that the atmosphere of panic she has caused is enough to qualify for entry into the society. Therefore, before she could submit her work, Boulder invited her to become a member.
After careful consideration, Elena decided to put the new story aside for now. She hoped to wait until her appearance fully recovered before personally participating in the setup of the room filled with terrifying elements. If she released the novel after building the haunted house, people might have already forgotten the plot, so she wanted to wait until everything was ready to create a synergistic effect between the two.
When Elena once again stepped into the mysterious room, Boulder introduced her to a variety of tools.
"This crystal ball is made of quartz from Miandian. It was formed by rotating in a half-cylinder container filled with garnet powder and water. It's an ancient gift from the East, usually used as a divination tool," Boulder explained.
"This is a lotus wand. Duke made it himself from a branch of an oak tree. It helps us better channel our powers," Boulder handed the wand to Elena. She waved it but didn't feel any special power, only that the stick was very straight.
"This is the Book of Witchcraft by Goddess Karti," Boulder displayed a magical tome. "It records various mystical rituals and spells. Our main task is to decipher it."
He pointed to some mysterious symbols on the wall. "These symbols are called 'Rune Script'. They may sound similar to Runeton, but they actually come from the north. This script itself is a type of spell. Engraving it on any material can invoke power. However, this power is slowly fading."
Boulder continued to show her some practical items. He pointed to a bag of dust. "This dust was gathered from an ancient tomb and is believed to have necromantic powers. During summoning rituals, scattering it in the ritual space enhances contact with spirits. But be cautious, as this connection might lead to unpredictable consequences."
In other words, summon without worrying about the return? Elena cautiously looked at the dust and then distanced herself from it.
Then, he showed her a silver dagger. "This dagger is inlaid with an obsidian stone, giving it powerful energy. After charging it during rituals, it can be used to ward off evil forces. However, its use requires caution because each time it is used, it demands a person's entire blood supply. If this isn't met, the dagger will turn on its wielder."
Every item in this room seemed to come with some form of negative effect, perhaps as part of the law of equivalent exchange.
"I think you'll need this," he finally took out a shape-shifting badge and laid it in his palm. "I'll need to teach you how to use it, or it'll just be a normal badge."
This was no simple ritual. First, Elena needed to clearly visualize the image of the shape she wanted to transform into. This image had to be unambiguous, or the magic might cause chaos and confusion.
After deciding on the target form, she would recite a chant to awaken the power in the badge. This step required focus and calmness. She would feel subtle changes, but must maintain a continuous focus on the target image until the transformation was complete.
Boulder warned her that many initiates failed because they couldn't maintain focus or didn't form a clear image from the beginning. As a result, their transformations sometimes resulted in missing ears, extra fingers, or even completely distorted faces. For most people, the first successful transformation was a difficult task and required practice. The badge also had a cooldown time, so each transformation would cost divine favor.
Therefore, the quicker she learned, the less she would have to pay in terms of divine energy.
Boulder instructed, "You might need to first master a simple ritual to test your divine favor. It's easy, but it must be done at night, when the moon is up."
Goddess Karti, like many deities, held the power of the moon, so it was easier to commune with her under the moonlight.
"Is this the same for every god?" Elena curiously asked. "I'd like to see the divine favor of Goddess Daitit."
"Of course not," Boulder replied. "I can teach you how to communicate with Goddess Daitit, but you can't do both rituals at the same time. It's better to leave at least three to five days in between."
Normally, after completing a ritual, there was no need for another. Under the blessing of the gods, people would sense vague information. Asking the gods too often might annoy them—perhaps.
After completing the ritual, Elena would know how many times she could use the shape-shifting badge.
"Besides the negative effects of using these mystical tools, carrying them for too long also brings disadvantages," Boulder cautioned. "So we only carry them when needed. Once used, they should be placed back in their golden boxes immediately."
Elena nodded in understanding, and over the next few days, she diligently practiced using the shape-shifting badge.
As Boulder had mentioned, using it was not easy, especially for Elena, who was open-minded and found it hard to focus. While practicing, she also inquired about what other members of the society did with the badge.
Most of them would transform back into their original forms to return home, deal with daily affairs, meet family and friends, or pretend to go on vacation or abroad, hiding among normal people. It seemed they hadn't completely given up on their normal lives.
Elena, too, wanted to visit her family. Her father and older brother were about to return from France, and she worried her mother and sister would expose the club's secrets. She liked this family and didn't want to see it fall apart.
However, visiting her family was not a top priority. She decided to first transform into a man and visit Holiwell Street in person—the street she had discovered while reading a newspaper.
Holiwell Street wasn't an ordinary back alley. It ran parallel to the main road of Luenton, "Strand Street." Its name meant "Holy Well," but as seen in the paper, it didn't seem very holy. Holiwell Street was known as "the most evil street in the civilized world," and people often referred to it as "Bookseller Street."
The bookstores on "Bookseller Street" weren't like the "Muse Temple" or other small bookstores selling regular literary works. Over fifty shops there specialized in selling erotic literature.
This wasn't a secret, and the books were openly displayed in windows, with a market-like noise resembling medieval times.
As a lady, Elena couldn't and shouldn't show interest in erotic literature, so she couldn't directly ask the club to buy such books for her, nor could she send her manuscripts directly to that "evil" street. In short, as long as she was still part of the club, she had a thick barrier between herself and these niche literary works.
Thus, the shape-shifting badge was crucial to her. Without it, she might have given up on writing erotic literature. But now that she had it, she could be bold enough to give it a try.
Her goal was simple—to transform into a man, visit the "evil" Bookseller Street, see what the most popular and best-selling works were, ask the booksellers or publishers if they accepted submissions, and leave her contact information. Then she would return to the club, secretly write her manuscript, and once finished, use the badge to turn into a man again, visit the post office to mail her work to Bookseller Street, or visit again personally.
This wasn't easy because Elena had never gone out on her own. It wasn't like modern times where you could just order a ride with an app. For secrecy, she certainly couldn't take the club's private carriage.
She could walk, but it would take a lot of time, and since the transformation time was limited, she'd better take a carriage.
A public carriage might suit her needs. It was a beautifully decorated two-wheeled freight carriage that could carry 20 people. The open top had low guardrails and could carry 16 people, with a fixed schedule and route. However, it posed certain risks since horses were animals, and their behavior could be unpredictable.
Compared to the public carriage, a private taxi would be more convenient, though more expensive. Elena didn't mind that cost, but she wasn't sure whether it would be as easy as waving her hand on the street to hail one.
"In general," Vera generously shared her travel experience, "carriage drivers wait for passengers at popular spots like taverns, hotels, near shops, or busy intersections."
Grace interjected, "I don't recommend taking the public carriage. My father once did, and he told me there are certain unwritten rules. For instance, the person who gets on first must sit at the back, and definitely avoid sitting next to the coachman, because your feet might get stepped on by other passengers. Also, you must hold onto the handrail tightly."
"Then I'll choose a private taxi," Elena immediately decided.
Although Grace and Vera were very curious about why Elena didn't take the club's private carriage, they saw that she wasn't sharing her reasons and, out of respect, didn't press her further. They were both envious that Elena could use the shape-shifting badge, even though they had joined the society earlier. For them, the threshold of the Occult Society was still too high, especially since they weren't interested in terrifying literature, particularly the kind of stories Elena wrote.
However, Elena wasn't writing scary stories now. She was busy crafting relatively subtle and delicate erotic scenes. Since she had never been to Holiwell Street,
she wasn't sure whether introductions or recommendations were needed to buy things there, so she decided to gather some credentials to prove she was one of the sellers.
For a well-read person like her, it was a piece of cake. The only worry was being caught while writing in the studio, so she had to sneak into her bedroom to write.
She wasn't quite sure about the erotic literature of this time. From what she'd read, it barely had any descriptions below the neck, with romance and emotional elements, so it seemed everyone was outwardly very proper.
Therefore, Elena certainly couldn't be too explicit, especially at the beginning. She referenced *Romeo and Juliet* and wrote a dreamy scene, where two young lovers, worried about their future and family, gave their bodies to each other. It felt like proper published literature.
She had to admit it was a bit challenging for her, like dodging censorship, but she worked hard to make the writing full of emotion and tension. As the story progressed, the two young characters, in their despair and sorrow, intertwined, exploring the unknown. Their bodies and souls gradually merged, like the stars, flowers, and the expanding universe—she was moved by her own writing, filled with feelings, if not technical skills.
In this way, time passed with Elena secretly writing and practicing her transformation. After several attempts, she finally succeeded in transforming into an unremarkable man—brown short hair, dark brown eyes, medium height, and a vague face. She felt extremely happy with the result, but soon realized she needed some suitable men's clothing.
Unlike women's clothing, men's inner garments were fixed—long-sleeve shirts with detachable collars and cuffs, to keep them clean. The collar's stiffness indicated how much starch was used in the wash, which was a luxury. Those from ordinary families usually didn't waste that much starch, so their shirts were simpler, held together by a cloth strip.
As for trousers, men wore long underpants that reached the ankles, fastened with buttons at the waist and legs to prevent them from slipping. There were no modern underwear; their underpants were also their innerwear.
After putting on the basics, it was easy to add a vest, woolen coat, and tight pants to go out. Since the air was filled with coal dust, light-colored clothes easily got dirty, so dark clothes, especially black, were the most popular.
Regardless of what was worn, hats were essential for men, not only for warmth but also as a cultural symbol of self-respect, similar to how women in Korea wouldn't go out without makeup.
So, after her successful transformation, the first thing Elena did was measure her new body size and handed it to the butler to order a set of men's clothing. This would cost around 10 to 20 pounds, which was a bit painful, especially since she would probably wear the clothes only two or three times. However, it was an unavoidable expense. After all, she couldn't go out dressed as a man in a skirt, could she?
Of course, she had also considered buying second-hand clothes, but that would be more complicated than buying new ones. The second-hand market is filled with all sorts of items, and it would be difficult to put together a complete outfit without spending time searching. Unless she had someone to recommend things to her, she didn't have the time to deal with it. Since her finances were currently comfortable, she decided to simply buy new clothes to save herself the trouble.
However, the housekeeper told her that if she wanted a brand new, tailor-made outfit, she would have to wait a few weeks or even months. If it was from a famous tailor, she would likely need to get in line first.
Elena certainly couldn't afford to wait that long. "Isn't there any other option?"
"Well, you could ask Duke Berkeley for help," the housekeeper suggested. "The Duke has his own tailor, and they're probably faster than regular tailors. If you ask them, you might get it done in about a week."
"Do you think the Duke would agree?" Elena asked hesitantly.
"The Duke is a generous man," the housekeeper said with a shrug. "I think he would have no problem helping out. Why not ask him?"
So, Elena went back and wrote a letter to the Duke, hoping he could help by recommending a few tailors. To save time, she included her measurements, which had been altered for her transformation.
The Duke responded quickly, graciously agreeing to lend her his tailors and even sending a few clothes that he hadn't worn.
"These clothes are ones I haven't worn," the Duke's letter read. "Given the measurements, they should fit someone around my age, about fifteen or sixteen. If you're in a hurry, perhaps you could try these first."
Elena had heard that the upper class sometimes gave away clothes they no longer wore to their servants, and this was certainly a timely blessing. Her mood lightened considerably, and she decided to write back immediately to express her gratitude and to accept the Duke's offer.
The Duke's clothes were naturally made from the finest materials, with excellent tailoring. Even though they were a few years old, the style had not become outdated. Elena tried them on after transforming into a man's form. The sleeves were a little long, and the jacket was slightly too big, but it didn't matter—after all, the jacket didn't need to be buttoned up. The Duke also sent a pair of boots, which seemed to be custom-made for his younger self, and though they were a bit too large, they fit well enough with thick socks.
Aside from her appearance, Elena also needed to disguise her voice, which was not difficult for her, as her voice was raspy and unrecognizable as either male or female.
She exchanged some small change with the housekeeper, which would be useful for taking a carriage and buying a few materials. With everything ready, she left the club in the early morning, successfully transformed into her prepared male disguise, wearing a hat and carrying the coins, and made her way out of the club where she had been staying for over two months.
Standing on the street, she felt a little disoriented.
The air was filled with various smells—distant grass and flowers mingled with the pervasive odor of horse manure and smoke on the streets, making her wrinkle her nose. The flowers in the club were changed daily, and Elena had almost forgotten she was in one of the most polluted cities. But the familiar scent brought back memories of the few times she had ventured out.
The noise also came from all directions: the creaking of carriage wheels on the cobblestone road, the sound of horse hooves, the steps of pedestrians, and the slight breeze against her face, bringing a touch of coolness.
At a crossroads near the club, she looked around and quickly spotted an empty two-wheel carriage. She waved, and the driver stopped by her side. She smoothly climbed into the carriage. "Hollywell Street."
She dared not look at the driver's face, feeling as though he was smiling knowingly.
The carriage took her along a bumpy road, and Elena pressed herself against the backrest, worried that a sudden stop might throw her out. After all, there were no seatbelts.
It wasn't a very long journey—St. James's district was at the end of Strand Street, and passing through a Charing Cross would bring her into Strand Street. This was one of Lunden's main thoroughfares, and she entered a place shrouded in yellow-green mist, the air thick with an indescribable stench.
Up ahead, the road was crowded, forcing the carriage to slow down. Elena curiously looked out at the bustling crowd of people, most of them men dressed like her in dark coats, black top hats, and holding long umbrellas. Black street lamps lined the way, but visibility was low.
Among the mist, she could faintly hear the soothing music of a pipe organ. The melody echoed through the fog, and the small breeze brought a coolness that added to the city's damp, chilling atmosphere.
She also spotted a public carriage, green in color, with people sitting on top wearing cold, indifferent expressions. The street was lined with endless rows of buildings. After more than half an hour, the carriage stopped. She had arrived.
The driver requested a shilling, and Elena, having already checked, knew this was a fair price. A round trip would cost two shillings, a substantial sum, showing that not everyone could afford a hired carriage.
Nevertheless, she was now standing at the corner of Hollywell Street, which was all that mattered.
The narrow, winding road looked a bit dirty. Ancient, unique buildings lined the street, ranging from three to five stories tall, built on narrow foundations. The upper floors of these buildings almost leaned over the street, as if hanging in mid-air.
Stepping into this area felt like entering an old version of Lunden, a place disconnected from the modern city. This area, once known for selling second-hand clothes before being renamed "Booksellers' Street," had now become the center of Lunden's s\*\*ual industries.
Elena had expected the place to be quiet, imagining it would resemble an underground market. However, she was surprised to see the street bustling with activity. Colorful windows attracted groups of men, some stopping to examine things, while others walked past, distracted by various goods. Some were well-dressed, adjusting their tailcoats, and the crowd was so dense it blocked the sidewalk. She also noticed some flashy-dressed women lingering near doors and children chasing after dogs.
Well, it wasn't illegal to read books like this in public, so why not take a look?
She mustered the courage to walk into the busiest shop. Books were everywhere—stacked in the windows, scattered on street racks, and even unloaded from horse-drawn carts. Inside, the air smelled of mildew and sweat. Many people were buried in the contents of books, while vendors came and went, selling all sorts of goods.
Elena browsed through the titles on the shelves: *"New York Lesbian"* and *"The Temptation of the Bishop"*, among others. Curiously, she picked up the latter, finding it full of listings for places offering a particular kind of service. Well, that was… eye-opening.
She also found a book titled *"The Country Boy's Guide"*, which seemed completely out of place in the shop, but upon opening it, she discovered it was actually a guide for finding same-sex partners in Lunden, disguised under a misleading title.
Elena was shocked and quickly put the book back on the shelf.
A more useful find, she thought, would be the *"Forbidden Book Reference Directory"*, which contained summaries and analyses of banned books. It was a goldmine, and she immediately tucked it into her coat.
While everyone around her continued to read, she picked up a copy of *"The Captain's Caress—A Must-Read Pocket Book"* to expand her knowledge.
To be honest, while writing this kind of literature wasn't illegal at the time, compared to modern websites, it seemed much less explicit—only a few hundred words at most per "scene." In comparison, later works would be much more detailed. This made Elena feel more confident; even if she had no money, she could probably survive by writing such stories.
Besides the books outside, Elena noticed someone speaking quietly to the shopkeeper at the counter. After a brief exchange, the shopkeeper pulled out a book for the man. Elena could easily guess that this was a rarer, more coveted work.
Curious, she carefully followed the same approach, pretending to browse behind the shopkeeper while eavesdropping. She soon overheard another man conversing with the shopkeeper and caught phrases like *"special collection"* and *"private manuscript."*
Once the man had left with the book, Elena bravely approached the shopkeeper and, using a subtle approach, inquired whether they accepted private manuscripts, discreetly presenting a piece of her own—her *Romeo and Juliet* fanfiction.
The shopkeeper seemed intrigued, perhaps struck by the quality of her writing. After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke.
"You seem to be new around here," the shopkeeper said, eyeing Elena with some caution.
"Yes, I'm a bit new to this," Elena replied, feeling slightly awkward but determined. She tried her best to appear shy and presented her manuscript for review.
Elena felt a bit embarrassed, but she didn't give up. She acted shyly and asked the shopkeeper if they accepted private manuscripts, slyly presenting the Romeo and Juliet fanfiction she had written.
The shopkeeper became interested, perhaps moved by the quality of the manuscript. He glanced through it and appeared thoughtful. Elena didn't dare to hurry him, and sat there, feeling like she was sitting on pins and needles, waiting.
The shopkeeper looked around the room and gestured for her to follow him upstairs.
Elena's heart raced a little, but she maintained an expression of hesitation and curiosity. If it had been the old her, she would never have dared to go upstairs, but now that she was disguised as a man, what was there to fear? The more skilled you were, the braver you had to be. So she followed him up without hesitation.
The dirty, winding staircase was steep, and the upstairs was a bit messy—half was a small bedroom, and half was a cluttered workshop. She saw a child sitting on the floor, playing with an old marble. The shopkeeper quickly chased the child away, closed the door, and brought out a book from the workshop, titled "Landiana, The Exciting Story," along with a few other picture books.
"Not bad," the shopkeeper said, critiquing the manuscript. "But if you want to make money in this field, you need to study more. Overly artistic techniques don't work in this industry."
Elena responded humbly, "That's exactly why I came, to learn."
"These are the latest, most adventurous works," the shopkeeper said mysteriously, eyeing Elena critically. "If you weren't a well-read person, I wouldn't sell them to you. Go back and write more. If you do well, I might even introduce you to Mr. Herman."
Elena had heard of Mr. Herman in the club. He was the largest publisher on Hollywell Street and a big shot in this industry. While proper novels flourished, the adult fiction genre was monopolized by him, and every small shop like this one had to source books from him.
For these latest additions, Elena paid two pounds, which was outrageous in price. However, the shopkeeper assured her she had gotten a great deal.
"This is the original edition," he whispered. "You should know, it was privately printed. Only 150 copies were made. It's rarer than medieval illuminated manuscripts."
For a moment, Elena wasn't sure whether to be impressed by its rarity or by the shopkeeper comparing it to medieval manuscripts. She flipped through the book, trying to figure out its value despite its unassuming appearance.
"Be careful," the shopkeeper urged. "Don't let the small print fool you. Almost everyone who's anyone has a copy of this. It's famous and passed down by word of mouth."
Though a small book, after the shopkeeper's comment, its rarity seemed to grow exponentially. Perhaps in a few hundred years, when the history of adult fiction was studied, it might be included in the records.
The shopkeeper wrapped the books carefully in paper and tied them together. Elena, with a sense of accomplishment, felt like her trip was worthwhile.
Leaving Hollywell Street, she hailed a cab and made her way back to the club. After paying, she quickly walked inside, appearing calm, but in reality, she rushed to her room, hiding the two-pound books in the deepest part of her wardrobe before remembering to undo her transformation.
When she changed back into her dress and sat down to enjoy afternoon tea in the restaurant, she looked so composed, as if she had never left the club at all.
"Elena," Vera, who was also there for tea, greeted her, "I can't believe you're here. I didn't see you earlier."
Elena smiled, thinking to herself, I've just come back. She replied, "I just came down."
"I heard your section is in the next issue of Ladies' Monthly," Vera asked curiously. "What's it about?"
Elena suddenly felt a bit disoriented, possibly due to the frequent use of her transformation badge in recent days. She paused to recall, then answered, "It's a fashion column, helping families just entering the middle class choose the right clothing. This issue is just a trial, the official column hasn't started yet."
After receiving Elena's suggestion, Ladies' Monthly responded quickly, not only adding medical-related articles but also inviting her to be an editor for fashion and medical submissions. Many of the submissions, though, had some pseudoscientific elements, though some were reasonable.
For instance, many people linked colds and fevers with the fog outside and suggested "changing the air" as a treatment, meaning going on vacation to the countryside or seaside. From a modern perspective, air pollution does indeed harm the respiratory system, and in the absence of air purifiers, going to a fresh-air place for a vacation was a sensible remedy, though it was tough on the wallet.
Before modern medicine developed, Western societies also used herbs for treatment. In noble estates, in addition to vegetable gardens, there were herb gardens, and some submissions introduced herbal treatments like calendula for inflammation and garlic for antibacterial purposes, which wasn't entirely without merit. There were also articles sent by pharmacies boasting about their own remedies, which left Elena speechless.
"Many of them are laxatives," she shared with Vera. "Things like soap powder and rhubarb root are fine, but there's this pill called the Convenience Pill," she made a disgusted face. "It's made from a metal called antimony, and once you take it, you'll have uncontrollable diarrhea. The pharmacy claims that this means the pill can be reused repeatedly, and even suggests multiple people use it!?"
Vera frowned at hearing this. "Oh my God, why do you have to mention this while I'm eating?"
"Sorry," Elena quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, I rejected that advertisement. You'd better not trust them too much."
"Of course," Vera, who had a family doctor before but now had no one, would naturally avoid pharmacies. "I think Goddess Hecate would love this column."
Indeed, Goddess Hecate had some expertise in herbs.
"Hopefully, the goddess will bless me a little more for my hard work," Elena prayed.
Vera couldn't help but sigh. "You're really hardworking. You're the most hardworking person I've ever met. I mean, you know what you're doing. Ugh, I don't even know what I'm doing. You know? Our species transformation ritual has completely stopped."
Elena widened her eyes. Indeed, the Duke hadn't come for a while, but since they could still communicate, that meant he was safe. But why… could it be…?
"Right, you're thinking the same thing I am?" Vera couldn't hide her growing worry. "I thought it was because the Duke was being closely watched, but now it seems like we're the ones being watched. I don't know if Duke Berkeley will abandon us and completely sever ties with us. After all, to outsiders, we seem like entirely different species."
"It won't happen," Elena reassured her. "Since he created this club, there's no way he can sever ties with us. If we were exposed, the Duke would find a way to get us out of here to avoid the storm. Since he hasn't, it means they haven't found us yet."
Although Vera seemed somewhat reassured, she was still very worried when she left. Elena, preoccupied with practicing her transformations, noticed that the atmosphere in the club was heavy, as though a storm was about to break.