The three junks followed the coastline, closely packed. Through the woods and overgrowth, Captain Hyon Sang-Min could still see the outline of ruins, which covered most of the coasts of Ilbon.

His instincts notified him that he had company, as he scanned the shape of the area, looking for what he hoped remained of the port ahead.

“This is it, High Lords,” he announced.

“Kokura?”

“It is the place,” he confirmed.

The five tall three-eyed figures that surrounded him made him slightly uncomfortable. Usually, men like him saw the Lords from afar, not up close. But the five had decided upon this expedition, and a simple captain obeyed when Erlangs spoke.

As usual, the five spheres were represented there. Not actual high-rankers – allowing a high-score Erlang to venture to a risky place was a no-no among the Lords – but hefty High Lords still.

Xiang Rong represented Metal. A Hero of high repute, with an unerring lance and an uncanny ability to avoid being hit. Being a mere Hero disqualified him from the council of the Five, but he still bore the grey-eyed sign of Metal.

Zeng Shui was Wood, with his flowering ability, and grasping roots. In any other ability, he would be counted as a worthy candidate for the council of Five, but, of course, competition in the sphere of Wood was fierce, and his endurance made him only above average.

The only Lady in the group, Shen Liuxian was Water. She had power over the shape of trees and more importantly walked across waters. If she even grew slightly in power as age usually did, she’d be in the top five of the blue, in direct succession for the post. And barred from leaving the country.

Ranshao Shu was Fire, with his ability to surround himself in overwhelming flames. If he had had any other ability, he might have been versed into the top ranks – and thus prevented from adventures.

Finally, Tang Mu was Earth. He could bring forth hand covers of stone and more importantly for the venture, see the mana that marked the objectives of this expedition.

Captain Hyon turned back and pointed to a flat, still recognizable pier.

“This should do. Much better mooring than going to a shore with tenders.”

The Ancient pier held enough room for all three junks. Gangplanks were put out, and lines tied to what looked like old bollards, worn out, but still recognizable.

Troops pulled out. The five High Lords had little difficulty recruiting enough men for the venture. Promises of favor for the families of any who fell during the expedition, combined with good pay were enough to bring men in sufficient numbers. Depending on the state of the ruins, this would suffice.

“I can see one,” Tang Mu announced as soon as the five made their way onto the pier.

Artifacts in the wild might as well not exist on the continent. Enough Erlangs had scoured the lands wide and far over a century until all but the heaviest mana zones were checked. Not every High Lord got the ability to see mana, but enough did to make that search as exhaustive as possible.

Thus, the expedition to the near-untouched ruins of the Nippon. Tang Mu felt confident that the near-ubiquitous ruins of the ancient land of the rising sun would have many untouched Artifacts. Many pillagers would have loved to hunt for those, but unfortunately, smuggling one when you were not of the Erlang was a perilous endeavor. After all, all it took was a High Lord noticing the mana, and your life would be forfeit unless you could make a convincing argument about having just found it and bringing that one for a reward.

“Then let’s proceed,” Xiang Rong said, gesturing imperiously.

The Erlangs advanced cautiously still. After the pier, the ruins were unequally decayed. They were on what had been a street, with recognizable buildings on one side, and overgrowth and trees on the other, a few remains of a wall barely visible here and there.

Ranshao Shu kept looking at the greenery. Here, he did not fear bandits or wildmen, who would use the ruins, but Sacred Beasts that prowled the wilder parts instead. There had been no survivor of Nippon, at least on the islands themselves. You might find here and there a common man tracing his descent from one survivor who’d washed on the shores of Joseon and ran before the first Sacred Beasts came out to finish what starvation hadn’t.

The fighters that escorted the five did pretty much the same, showing unexpected wisdom.

“For all of its reputation, this is peaceful,” Zeng Shui.

“Few expeditions that stay long return. I would not count on the night being as peaceful,” Lady Shen Liuxian countered.

“All the more reason to get as much as we can before the fall of the sun,” Tang Mu said, looking ahead.

“A bit to the left,” he added.

The ruin at which they stopped seemed no more or less preserved than the rest, but Tang Mu’s pointed at a mound of bricks. Wordlessly, four of the fighters started moving bricks out, until they spotted a metallic surface. They redoubled efforts quickly until they brought out what looked like a sheet of metal that was unblemished, barely dirty from the bricks.

“That is one,” Tang Mu confirmed.

Shen Liuxian smiled. They had agreed on the order for the split beforehand, to favor no one.

“I am hoping for a grandchild soon, this will be perfect under the crib.”

“May exposure to this bring him fame,” Zeng Shui answered.

Privately, Ranshao Shu did not quite believe that exposure to Artifacts could bring forth Heavenly Talents. But he had to preserve appearances, and as a powerful Fire Lord, he was expected to gift his brothers and sister with Artifacts for the good fortune of their heirs, since his wife never bore him children before dying unexpectedly. And none of his ancestors had been High Lords – he was the first sorcerer of his line and of the rare Fire type.

And that is why all the five Erlang Lords were there, after all. To expand their family’s fortunes, hopefully to expose their descendants to whatever mana energies that flowed so powerfully in the Ancient Artifacts, and bring forth powers.

Or at least, make the gesture, lest you lose face. It wouldn’t do for people to whisper he did not care about his family’s fortunes.

“And now?” Xiang Rong asked.

Tang Mu smiled.

“Your luck must be legendary in this as it is on the field of battle.”

“Lead on,” the Hero replied.

The expedition ended up following a canal or a river, not fully filled with silt. Most of the area had decayed, but a handful of buildings still stood. Despite the seeming lack of game paths or anything, Ranshao Shu felt ill at ease. His instincts told him to loosen his robe, to be ready to step out and start burning things.

Then he realized what made him nervous. Even in ruins, you could hear the songs of birds in spring.

Not here. The Nippon ruin had been silent since they made landfall, the noise of the gulls over the bay being left behind. And his subconscious had grown increasingly worried about why even gulls would avoid moving inland. Or at least this side.

“In front. Looks like that area,” Tang Mu announced.

The same fighters started forward, the five Lords following.

“Need cleaning, maybe?”

“I’m not burning an Artifact. Even if they’re hard to damage,” Ranshao Shu replied drily.

He kept looking. Some instinct was screaming at him that, the longer they stayed in the ruined city, the more in danger they would be. And he realized from the nervousness of some of the fighters that at least a few of them shared his instinct. But the four High Lords did not pay any attention to the surroundings and he forced himself to project the same calm.

“Found it,” one of the searchers said, raising what looked like a walking stick. Even from the distance, it looked made of the darkest wood, like night itself even in the early afternoon.

“Congratulations, Xiang Rong. That one looks even useable as a weapon,” Shen Liuxian said.

“If this keeps up, we may even find ten. Fifteen?” Zeng Shui noted.

“Only Tang Mu can answer that,” she replied.

“Let me look”, the Erlang said.

Ranshao Shu looked as well. He might not be able to see mana, but he was going to keep watching.

But it was not sight that warned him, but sound. A strange sort, like a deep bass. And it wasn’t his imagination playing tricks on him, as the other Lords suddenly stiffened, and the fighters of the expedition suddenly raised spears and brought forward bows.

They looked all around for the source of the strange sound, and Xiang Rong suddenly drew out his sword, pointing to the sky in front of him.

Ranshao Shu had barely time to realize the shapes in the sky before the horde reached the expedition. He did not even think, and the ground around him suddenly burst into flame, throwing heat. Shen Liuxian howled, throwing herself aside, and Zang Shui jumped, his clothes catching fire too.

And the buzzing shapes fell from the sky by the dozens, as the expedition tried desperately to fend off the furred and winged shapes that came at them. Ranshao Shu knelt, trying to expose as little of him above the burning ground that marked his power. He saw a spatter of blood fly and realized the Sacred Bats had teeth. Big teeth.

Then one landed in front of him and he saw globes of flame form around it as its huge eyes focused on him.

Captain Hyon Sang-Min stiffened as he saw a swirl of flame come out from the road that led out of the pier. The handful of sailors that had taken fishing dropped their fishing lines and started running toward the junks, fearing a Sacred Beast come to hunt, but Hyon Sang-Min could make out what looked like a human shape in the middle of the fire. A running shape.

The fire subsided suddenly, and he saw a naked figure running. A naked High Lord.

The Erlang barely stopped and ran upward on the gangplank.

“Lord… Lord Ranshao?” the captain asked.

“We leave. Now. If they come this way, we’re doomed.”

“Where are the…”

“Done. We did not have a chance. WE LEAVE NOW,” Ranshao Shu yelled.

Hyon Sang-Min knew better than to argue with a frightened High Lord. Especially since it seemed that the other four were gone.

“Ranshao Shu, you abandoned them,” the Magistrate said flatly.

“Honored Zhuang Ming, there was nothing I could do. Against a few Sacred Beasts, maybe. Against many dozens of them with almost a zhàng in wingspan, all I could do was… retreat.”

Ranshao Shu almost said “run”.

“That’s what I just said,” the Magistrate continued in the same equal tone.

“And Lady Shen Liuxian among them,” he added looking like a slightly disappointed uncle or something.

Ranshao Shu stopped himself from asking.

“The blue has turned. Lan Xue, the Blue Snows, has acceded to the Five. And Lady Shen Liuxian was now in the top five. Her return was anticipated. Well… no longer, it seems.”

Ranshao Shu sat, head frozen in place, not daring to move.

“Alas, stupidity is not a crime. This ill-fated expedition should not have been allowed to go, but one does not say no to a High Lord of the Erlangs. Rise, Ranshao Shu, and be dismissed.”

He rose, trying to control his legs.

“Stupidity is not a crime, and neither is cowardice,” the Magistrate said loudly before turning and exiting the hall.