Leto's Truth Revealed: From Execution to Spear Ally
The atmosphere that Namgung Seojun had crafted hung heavy in the air, but the administrator tried to shatter it.
“Insolent! How dare you address the High Priest and the mayor!”
But the mayor laughed heartily and responded with refreshing candor. “A courageous adventurer, eh? Shall we take a look, then?”
“M-Mayor?”
As the administrator panicked, the mayor handled it smoothly once more. “What's the harm in viewing it once? Let's check the record crystal.”
Seojun ascended the platform with the record crystal in hand. A mage infused it with mana, and the footage captured within—of the exact moment the murders occurred—magnified and projected for all to see.
Lee Yunhui, Leto's lover, had been a waitress at a tavern. To earn money on the sly without Leto knowing, she'd occasionally sleep with customers—and that day, she'd brought one home. But the man turned nasty mid-act, sparking a fight. She snapped in fury.
“Get out—now!”
“What did you say?”
“I don't need money from scum like you—get out!”
Her shout enraged the drunken customer. He drew the sword he always carried and slashed her down.
“...What now?”
Snapping out of it after the deed, the man reeled, head spinning on how to cover it up. He grabbed her body and dragged it from the room.
“Kyaaak!”
Her daughter at home spotted her dead mother and screamed in terror.
“Shut up!”
“Kyaaak!!”
The customer stabbed the screaming girl with his sword. “Damn it, I'm screwed.”
When her second daughter crossed paths with him, he killed the little one too.
“...”
Leto returned home to the sight of the man disposing of the bodies. Rage exploded; he decapitated the intruder in one stroke. Then, gazing at Yunhui and the children's corpses, he wept.
As Leto sobbed for a long while, temple knights arrived at the screams and arrested him.
Namgung Seojun had donated 10,000 Merit Points to the Main God's temple, along with fine offerings for a ritual. In response, the Main God bestowed the record crystal containing the scene. Now, projected for all, the full truth emerged.
Leto had killed, yes—but a criminal who'd butchered a woman and her children.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd...
“What? He's no monster.”
“The administrator messed up?”
“Lost his lover... poor guy.”
“Death penalty's way off.”
The mood flipped in an instant, leaving the administrator flustered. The monthly executions were a festival, a showcase of his and the administration's power. Dragging in the wrong convict was a disaster.
Thankfully, the mayor stepped in to smooth things over. “Bringing such vital proof—and verified by the Main God's temple, no less. A truly just adventurer! Impressive!”
He praised Seojun for the proper records first. “The administrator did fine too. The report said Leto stayed silent, right? Can't blame you for missing it. Just be more careful next time.”
With even the administrator defended, he bowed in gratitude. “Now that the truth is out, we'll amend the verdict at once. Lizardman Leto committed murder, but under fully understandable circumstances. Death penalty revoked; we'll rejudge.”
The crowd applauded; the High Priest nodded in agreement. Leto stepped down from the scaffold unharmed and was escorted back to prison.
That evening, Leto returned to his cell—but conditions were worlds better than before. A decent single room, proper food. Yet he took no joy in his survival. He sat quietly in the corner, staring blankly at the ceiling.
“Leto.”
Someone called. An unfamiliar yet unforgettable voice. Leto turned to see the face of the man who'd saved him.
“Namgung Seojun.” He greeted with a smile.
Seojun sat before the bars and spoke. “Ready to talk now?”
Leto finally opened his mouth. “What do you want? Why save me? What do you expect in return?”
Seojun kept smiling. “Maybe I just help innocents—even lizardmen.”
“Heh. Weirdos like you exist, huh.” But Leto's eyes remained lifeless. “Pointless, though. I've got no will to live.”
“That so? Why not?”
Leto shared his past honestly with the man who'd spared his life.
Leto wasn't an ordinary lizardman. In his previous life, he'd been a prince of the lizardman kingdom, a warrior versed in spearmanship and mana breathing. He'd died fighting to save his people in war, entering the Tower World alongside his fallen comrades.
Their goal: climb to the 100th floor, become gods, aid their original world. Ambitious, Leto and his team dove in.
But the Tower was merciless. Comrades fell one by one to its brutal trials. By the 30th floor, Leto stood alone. Purposeless, he drifted to Estia.
There, he met Yunhui by chance. She needed protection; he needed a place to stay. They fit together and cohabited.
Leto didn't love Yunhui. But living with her brought peace—thanks to her two daughters, who treated him like true family. The innocent souls soothed him; he thought settling here wasn't so bad.
Then tragedy struck again. The customer Yunhui brought home slaughtered everyone Leto had come to cherish. Vengeance taken, Leto surrendered all.
Seojun listened to it all. Leto ended with self-assessment. “I'm cursed, clearly. In my past life, the troops I led died defending the kingdom. Climbed the Tower with them, but only I survived—everyone else perished here too. Now my lover and daughters... Yeah, cursed.”
Leto's tale concluded. Seojun realized persuasion would be straightforward.
“Leto—or just friend, casually.”
Leto nodded okay.
“Why despair? Tower too tough? Or everyone around you dies?”
Leto watched, as if to say try me.
“This is the Tower. Reach the top, become a god—fix everything you've mourned.”
“Hahaha! The top? You still believe it's possible?”
Leto scoffed; Seojun replied firmly. “Yes. We can—with me.”
“What?”
To Leto's baffled look, Seojun displayed his Status Window, job and status clear.
“Apostle Candidate of the Main God... and an inviter?”
Stunned, Leto heard Seojun's Super Sense-guided final pitch. “Leto, you'd already given up everything, right? Bet your life on me one last time. Climb with me.”
Something in Seojun stirred Leto toward one final gamble. For over an hour, he pondered silently. Then, resolved:
“Fine. I'll trust you and climb.”
“Good choice!”
Seojun reached through the bars; Leto gripped his hand firmly.
The next day, Seojun visited Estia's administrator. “You want to bail the lizardman?”
The man hesitated. “The mayor spared execution, but he's a killer. Even with reason, five years minimum...”
Seojun revealed his status again. “Ah! Apostle Candidate...”
Attitude shifted. “500 gold bail, and he's yours.”
Seojun paid and freed Leto.
On vacation's last day, with the party gathered, Seojun introduced the newcomer. “Our latest: adventurer Leto.”
Leto seized the moment confidently. “Leto here. Free-role dealer with spear. Pleased to join.”
Clap clap clap. Applause welcomed him.
But Li Zhangwei perked up at “spear free-role dealer”—his own role.
“A free-role dealer with spear...”
Post-formalities, Li Zhangwei approached eagerly. “Care for a spar?”
All eyes locked on them. Leto, with his lizardman grin, replied: “Sure.”
He rose, spear in hand.
In a clearing near the inn, Leto and Li Zhangwei faced off alone. Away from eyes, their gazes locked as spears rose.
“Hah!”
Li Zhangwei charged first. Leto parried effortlessly.
Clang! Clang. Clang! Clang!
Rhythmic clashes echoed. Sweat beaded as the bout dragged.
“Ha... ha...”
Li Zhangwei sensed his inferiority amid desperate strikes—Leto deflected with ease.
“Hoo...”
He lowered his spear first, honest: “I yield.”
“Good match.”
Leto said no more. To him, versed in spears since his past life, Li Zhangwei was raw but sincere, full of potential.
“Perfect.”
From a distant rooftop, Seojun watched secretly, most pleased. Same Unique-grade spearmanship, but Leto's was far stabler.
Li Zhangwei's excelled in combos; Leto's balanced offense-defense masterfully.
“Can assign them different roles now?”
With Leto boosting offense, Seojun pondered even better team balance.