Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

"So what?" Ge Duo interrupted her, her voice carrying an almost cruel rationality.

"The freedom he gives us is nothing more than a handout conferred on the condition that we complete our mission. Don't forget, we are all merely summoned creatures of Lin Wan. No matter how kind he may seem, the mission he gives us is not something you can ignore!"

Goth took a step forward, and the shadow fell over Rapunzel.

"The task is to gain reputation points."

She stared into Rapunzel's eyes, each word striking Rapunzel's heart like a hammer blow.

"Reputation points, Rapunzel. This is the fundamental value of our existence. The system summoned us and deployed us to various parts of the world so that we could acquire reputation, grow, and become stronger in our own way, and then give back to the host, Lin Wan."

"Why do you think Eva is scheming so meticulously in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace? Why do you think Ursula is maneuvering and trading with the Demon Whale King's clan in the deep sea? Why do you think Snow White is working so hard to cultivate to the Soul Master level at the age of twelve and become the captain of the Heaven Dou Team?"

Godot's tone grew colder and colder, each question like a knife, dissecting the truths that Rapunzel had deliberately ignored.

"They are all doing their best to gain reputation points because they know that this is the foundation for our survival in this world. The more reputation points we have, the more resources we can get from the system, the faster our strength will improve, and the more things we can do."

"As for Lin Wan as the host, his reputation value cap is closely related to the sum of all of ours. The stronger we are, the stronger he is; the stronger he is, the more resources and support we can obtain."

This is a cycle, Rapunzel, a cycle we all must follow.

Rapunzel's lips trembled slightly, and her amber eyes filled with tears, but she held them back.

She wasn't unaware of these principles.

Hiding in a corner of the system's communication interface, she watched others discuss how to acquire reputation points, watched Eva occasionally share her experiences at the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace, and watched Ursula boast about the treasures she had obtained from the deep sea... She knew it all.

She just doesn't want to face it.

She just wanted to hide away, to escape the past, to escape Godot, and to escape this cruel reality.

"You've been free for too long, have you forgotten what our mission is!" Gedo's voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed anger.

"You're hiding in some corner of the world, burying your head in the sand like an ostrich, pretending nothing happened. Your reputation is only a little over a thousand points, not even as good as Cinderella, that girl who's stuck in that tiny town of Nottingham! Do you know what that means?"

Godot grabbed Rapunzel's wrist with such force that Rapunzel let out a muffled groan in pain.

“This means you are becoming the weak link in the entire system.” Godot’s voice was low, but even more dangerous.

"While everyone else is growing rapidly, you're standing still. When Lin Wan needs more reputation points to acquire new characters and resources, your contribution is negligible. Rapunzel, how long do you think this situation can last? When Lin Wan realizes that your value has become so low as to be negligible, what do you think he will do?"

Rapunzel's body trembled violently.

She thought about the possibility of being recycled by the system, and she thought about the abandoned and forgotten characters in the fairy tale world.

No, she didn't want that.

"I...I don't know how to gain reputation points..." Rapunzel's voice was trembling with tears.

"I just want to get away from you, I just want to live a quiet life..."

"Live quietly?" Ge Duo let out a short, cold laugh, as if she had heard a funny joke. "In this dog-eat-dog world, without strength, you don't even have the right to be quiet! Look at your hair."

She released Rapunzel's wrist, then grabbed a strand of her long, golden hair and yanked it hard.

"Your talent, your assets, are all contained in this long hair. It can heal wounds, accelerate the fusion of medicinal effects, and even nourish the very essence of life."

"This should have been your most powerful weapon, the best way for you to gain prestige. But what did you do with it? Paint portraits for people on the streets of town for a few copper coins? Hide in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well as my herbal medicine supplier?"

Ge Duo's eyes grew colder and colder, filled with a kind of anger that came from disappointment and frustration.

"Rapunzel, let me tell you, the reason I brought you to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and cut your hair to refine pills, do you really think I was only after those pills?"

Rapunzel froze, staring blankly at Godot.

Gedo loosened her hair, took a step back, crossed her arms, and looked down at her.

"I'm forcing you to face reality." Ge Duo's voice regained some calm, but something deeper was hidden beneath that calm.

Chapter 316 Intimidation and Consent

"I'm forcing you to recognize your own worth, forcing you to stop hiding. I'm imprisoning you here, cutting off your connection with the outside world, so that you'll understand you have nowhere to escape. Whether in the past or now, you can't escape."

Rapunzel's heart clenched painfully.

Looking into Ge Duo's deep green eyes, she suddenly realized that the woman before her was far more complex than she had imagined.

"What...what exactly do you want to do?" Rapunzel's voice was soft, filled with fear and confusion.

"I want to make you strong," Godot stated her purpose without hesitation.

"I want to make you the most dazzling new star of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, an indispensable core member of the Heaven Dou First Team, and the focus of the entire Heaven Dou Empire's younger generation. I want your name to spread throughout the continent and your reputation to skyrocket."

Then, these reputation points will be converted into my resources through the system.

She paused, a calculating smile playing on her lips.

"Of course, in the process, you will also become stronger. You will gain better cultivation resources, higher social status, and greater strength. We each get what we need. But..."

Ge Duo's eyes suddenly turned sharp as knives.

"You must do exactly as I have planned. From the moment you entered the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, you became my creation, Ge Duo's creation."

Every appearance you make, every battle you participate in, every display of your soul skills must be designed and approved by me. You must become my perfect symbol, showcasing my potion-making and cultivation abilities to the entire continent, attracting more forces to trade with me.

Rapunzel finally understood.

Ge Duo wasn't helping her, nor was she showing any concern for her.

She was just using her, like using her long hair to maintain her youth in a fairy tale.

This time, however, Godot wanted more.

She wanted to use Rapunzel to control more resources, expand her influence, and even indirectly influence the younger generation of the Heaven Dou Empire.

"What if... what if I don't agree?" Rapunzel mustered her courage and asked in a low voice.

Ge Duo smiled.

That smile was beautiful, yet it sent chills down Rapunzel's spine.

“You can disagree,” Ge Duo said lightly.

“But if that happens, I will immediately expel you from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. Without my protection, with your current strength and that face, how long do you think you can survive in Heaven Dou City? Those noble children who covet your beauty, those soul master organizations that want to study your martial soul, and those alchemists who need ‘special medicinal materials’... they will pounce on you like sharks smelling blood.”

She leaned close to Rapunzel and whispered in her ear, her voice like the hiss of a viper.

"By then, you will lose more than just your freedom, Rapunzel. You will lose everything, including your precious long hair, and even your life. In this world, without power, beauty and specialness are a kind of original sin."

Rapunzel's face was as pale as paper.

She knew that what Godot said was true.

During her months of wandering along the border of the Heaven Dou Empire, she had witnessed far too many ill-intentioned glances. Only because her soul power wasn't too low, and because she had always been cautious, had she avoided real danger.

But if we leave the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire and lose the protection of Gedo...

"I...I promise you." Rapunzel closed her eyes, and a tear finally slid down her cheek.

This is not the choice she wanted.

But she had no choice.

Just as Ge Duo said, in this dog-eat-dog world, without strength, you don't even have the right to be quiet.

"Very good." Ge Duo nodded in satisfaction, took a step back, and resumed her languid and mysterious demeanor.

"We'll head to the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy first thing tomorrow morning. Get a good rest tonight and get yourself into top shape. Remember, starting tomorrow, you're my student, a genius I've nurtured using potions and special methods. You need to play this role well, understand?"

Rapunzel nodded silently.

She knew that from this moment on, her life was once again in Godot's hands.

This time, however, Godot offered her an even bigger promise: power, prestige, and status.

The price she pays is that she must become a puppet in Godot's hands.

……

Silent all night.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the energy barrier of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and shone into the valley, Gedo was already prepared.

Today she wore a solemn deep purple robe, with intricate potion patterns embroidered in silver thread. Her long hair was neatly styled and she wore a crown inlaid with a dark green gemstone.

The twisted wooden staff in his hand gleamed with a mysterious luster in the morning light.

She didn't look like an alchemist; she looked more like a magician from an ancient tradition.

Rapunzel also changed into the clothes that Gotthard had prepared for her, a well-tailored moon-white long dress with delicate gold patterns on the hem, which complemented the color of her hair.

Her long hair was carefully combed and braided into a gorgeous braid that hung down her back, with the end secured with a small gold hair accessory.

“Remember what I said last night.” Godot gave Rapunzel one last check of her appearance and nodded in satisfaction.

"From this moment on, you are my student, a genius nurtured by the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire. Stand tall and show your confidence."

Rapunzel took a deep breath and forced herself to straighten her back.

She knew she had no way out.

Godot opened a spatial portal, one of the magical techniques she had developed.

Although the teleportation distance is limited, it is enough for them to reach the vicinity of Tiandou City directly.

The two stepped into the portal, and amidst the shifting light and shadows, the surrounding scenery rapidly changed.

When Rapunzel could see the scenery clearly again, they were already standing in a small grove of trees outside Tiandou City.

In the distance, the majestic city walls of Tiandou City stretched like a mountain range, casting huge shadows in the morning light.

"Let's go." Ge Duo took the lead and walked towards the city gate.

Rapunzel quickly followed, taking each step very carefully.

She had previously wandered on the outskirts of the Heavenly Dou Empire and had never seen such a magnificent city.

Beneath the towering city gates, crowds thronged, carriages and horses bustled, and the soldiers guarding the city wore gleaming silver armor, exuding a powerful aura.

Ge Duo presented a special token, which was an identity certificate bestowed upon her by the Heavenly Dou Royal Family, representing the highest level of VIP status.

Upon seeing the token, the city guards immediately saluted respectfully and allowed passage, skipping even the inspection.

Upon entering Tiandou City, Rapunzel was even more awestruck by the prosperity before her.

The wide street was wide enough to accommodate eight carriages side by side, and shops lined both sides with fluttering flags.