The Truth of the White Tower, Blackpine Simplified Method

"Tell me," Shien said, looking at him. "If it can hold Blackpine Fief, if it can mean fewer deaths, bring it to this table—White Tower Technology, Heretical Technology, whatever it is."

Victor's shoulders eased a little at those words. Only then did he speak. "I don't know how much you know, so I'll start at the beginning. Ten years ago, I joined an organization called the White Tower.

"Outsiders only knew it as an academic institution under the Church, responsible for studying ancient runes and Ancient Alchemy."

"The White Tower's inner circle consisted of master alchemists, master machinists, and a few heretical geniuses sheltered by the Church. They were all senior technical specialists within the Church."

"Its existence wasn't entirely legal.

"The White Tower worked with many things forbidden by Church decrees. It touched taboo technologies no one could openly touch."

At that, he glanced up at Shien.

Shien did not interrupt. Through his connection to Victor via the Canon of Grace and Righteousness, he had already seen fragments of memories and intelligence.

But those images were incomplete. Hearing Victor tell it himself would make things clearer and help him release some of what he carried.

"But people die at the Eternal Night Wall every year. Each Blood Moon Season is worse than the last, and humanity's defenses have been retreating for a century.

"So some of the Church's higher-ups tacitly allowed the White Tower to exist. They wouldn't acknowledge it or leave its name in any public records.

"But they supplied resources, materials, and testing grounds. They also spared the lives of people condemned as Heretics.

"The project I worked on at the White Tower was turning Sacred Flame into a weapon."

The Sacred Flame Altar was a creation of the Most Holy Church and humanity's greatest invention since