Chapter 81: You Think You’re Worthy?

Chapter 81: Chapter 81: You Think You’re Worthy?

Hearing Qin Yao’s icy voice, Lin Ji knew it was useless to keep hiding.

With her A-grade talent and the volcanic terrain, this woman’s perception was frighteningly sharp.

Even wearing the [Hidden Wings·Mantis Exoskeleton], the slightest movement would give him away.

"Let’s go."

Lin Ji’s expression remained calm, his breathing steady.

He deactivated the exoskeleton’s Optical Camouflage and led Gu Yihan, Su Qingyue, and the others out from behind the charred bushes, stepping directly in front of the Apocalypse Guild members.

Gu Sen, who had been idly twirling his combat knife, paused when he saw the figures emerging from the woods.

The next second, his gaze locked onto Gu Yihan’s face—first in surprise, then in an uncontrollable sneer.

"Well, well, look who’s been hiding in the bushes like a coward."

Gu Sen sheathed his knife and took two steps forward, his eyes sweeping over Gu Yihan from head to toe.

His gaze lingered on her tactical vest and shorts, his leer undisguised.

"Isn’t this the esteemed young lady of the Gu family in Haicheng?"

"Your uncle has been so worried about you, sending messages everywhere in the regional channel to find you. And here you are..."

Gu Sen sneered, glancing at Lin Ji.

"Hanging out with some random stray man who came out of nowhere."

"If your uncle finds out, you’ll bring shame to the entire Gu family."

Gu Yihan’s face instantly paled.

No matter how much she had looked down on this cousin in the past, she had still considered him family.

Running into a blood relative in the apocalypse had sparked a faint hope in her heart.

She had thought that even if he wasn’t willing to help, he wouldn’t turn hostile on the spot.

But with Gu Sen’s first words, that hope vanished.

"Cousin, you..."

Gu Yihan took a deep breath, suppressing her anger and hurt, forcing her voice to remain steady.

"We’re still family. Why do you have to speak so harshly? You wouldn’t have dared talk to me like this before!"

"Before?"

Gu Sen burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking.

The two lackeys beside him quickly joined in with sycophantic chuckles.

"That was when you still had your status as the Gu family’s young lady. What about now?"

"You’re just a useless E-grade talent. You think you’re worthy of being my relative?"

Gu Sen’s laughter stopped abruptly, his expression turning cold.

"Your uncle already told me—you only awakened the trashiest E-grade talent."

"E-grade! Not even fit to be cannon fodder!"

He took another step forward, his tone devoid of any courtesy.

"Don’t you understand what kind of world this is now? Talent and strength are everything."

"Our Apocalypse Guild, and the Gu family as it stands now, don’t keep useless people around."

"Did you really think your uncle was searching for you in the channel because he wanted to bring you back like a treasure?"

"He’s just putting on a show for others, so outsiders won’t accuse the Gu family of being heartless."

"Even if you do make it back alive, someone with an E-grade talent is nothing more than a marriage tool—a decoration at best."

The color drained completely from Gu Yihan’s face.

She had already sensed something from Gu Tianming’s cold replies earlier.

But back then, she had kept making excuses for her father in her heart.

Now, Gu Sen had laid everything out plainly, leaving her not even the slightest shred of false hope.

Gu Yihan’s body trembled slightly, her eyes reddening, yet she still stubbornly bit her lip, refusing to let the tears fall.

The tight tactical vest rose and fell sharply with her rapid breathing, vividly outlining those alluring curves and deep cleavage.

But Gu Sen wasn’t finished yet.

After humiliating Gu Yihan, he shifted his gaze and landed it on Lin Ji.

Earlier, he had been solely focused on humiliating this once high-and-mighty cousin of his, but now he took a proper look at Lin Ji.

Especially when he saw the [Hidden Wings·Mantis Exoskeleton] on Lin Ji, greed instantly flared in his eyes.

Even from over ten meters away, this suit of armor radiated danger—it was definitely no ordinary equipment.

"Kid, where did you get that thing on you?"

Gu Sen licked his lips, his eyes gleaming.

He knew his stuff too, immediately recognizing the extraordinary nature of this armor.

In his eyes, such a fine piece of gear was only rightfully meant to be worn by him.

"Now, I’ll give you a chance to live."

Gu Sen raised the tip of his blade, pointing it at Lin Ji, his tone condescending.

"Take off that armor you’re wearing, hand over all the supplies and the coordinates of the ship."

"As for these women behind you, not a single one of them is getting away. I’ll take them back tonight and have my fun with them slowly."

"The useful ones get to keep their lives; the useless ones, once my brothers are done with them, will be tossed straight into the sea."

"Do as I say, and I might even let you die a quick death."

"Otherwise, these three pieces of trash will be your fate."

As he spoke, he tapped the tip of his blade against the charred corpses on the ground.

Hearing these words, the expressions of the women behind Lin Ji changed.

Gu Yihan could no longer hold back, stepping forward directly to shield Lin Ji’s side.

"Gu Sen! Don’t you dare go too far! All you talk about is killing—do you have any sense of reason left?!"

Gu Yihan’s eyes were red, still trying to make one last plea.

"No matter what, I am still Gu Yihan! I am still a member of the Gu family!"

"If you truly push things to the extreme today, how will you explain it to my father when you return?"

"Your father?"

Gu Sen let out a scornful laugh as if he had just heard the biggest joke in the world, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt.

"Gu Yihan, are you still dreaming? Do you think you’re still that high-and-mighty young lady of the Gu family?"

"You, a worthless E-grade talent, no longer have the right to bear the Gu surname."

Gu Sen took a step forward, his gaze turning venomous, casually slapping the alloy combat blade against his palm.

"You’ve been running around with some lone wolf of a man, already completely disgracing the Gu family’s name!"

"Do you really think Second Uncle cares whether you live or die?"

"He’s now the guild master of the Apocalypse Guild, with over a hundred Awakened under his command and plenty of women to spare."

At this point, a thick wave of jealousy washed over Gu Sen’s face, and he even licked his lips again, as if imagining some unsavory scenes.

"It’s only been two days, and the number of female Awakened he’s already knocked up can’t be counted on one hand."

"You think he’d care whether a worthless E-grade like you lives or dies?"

Gu Sen sneered coldly, the tip of his blade once again pointing at Lin Ji as if already pronouncing a death sentence.

"Since we’ve run into each other today, this young master will clean house for the Gu family—getting rid of you, this stray man, and all this trouble in one go!"

"Qin Yao, stop standing there blankly."

Gu Sen grew impatient, waving his hand dismissively as he directly ordered Qin Yao beside him, not even bothering to spare Gu Yihan another glance.

"First, cripple that man and strip him of his battle armor!"

"As for the other women, capture them alive! Take them back for the brothers to have some fun!"

As soon as his words fell, the flicker of crimson flame in Qin Yao’s eyes ignited once more.

She raised her right hand, molten Red flames dancing at her fingertips, the surrounding air instantly warping slightly from the intense heat.

Just then, Lin Ji spoke.

"Want to kill me?"

He cast a cold glance at Gu Sen, as if looking at a dead man.

Raising his arm, two High-Frequency Oscillating Bone Blades slowly extended from the outer side of his forearm.

"You think you’re worthy?"