Kaka watched with a somewhat lazy gaze at a group of knights clad in snow-white attire in the distance; their silver armor glinted in the sunlight, somewhat dazzling.

Not far from him was a 'Hunter Soldier IV' quadruped construct with its shell open, his hands covered in grease, but his mind clearly wasn't on it, instead idly pondering the knights before him.

He thought to himself that these guys were really just like those from the Silver Forest Crown, perhaps even worse—at least the Silver Forest Crown didn't have snow-white combat robes. You'd probably not find a more flamboyant bunch in the entire China Competition Region. Of course, Kaka was the only one who thought so, because everyone else found it cool.

Sometimes people are such strange creatures; they think the Silver Forest Crown's silver ash-colored combat robes are glaring, often leading to being spotted prematurely on the battlefield and causing their strategies to fail—the kind of evil that could originate, in the community's words, from a designer's screw-up.

But it's the same silver helms and silver armor—

Even those clad in snow-white combat robes are seen as the guarantee of attractiveness, a symbol of strength, considered one of, if not the most successful guild combat robe designs in the entire China Competition Region, simply because their owners were the undisputed strongest in this competition region over the past three seasons.

Silver Weslan.

The multi-faceted, reflective shoulder armor, carved into a blooming rose, was hailed as the most creative and a blend of classical beauty, but Kaka couldn't see what was classic about it. Instead, the excessive reflective surfaces had caused Silver Weslan to fail against equally matched opponents on multiple occasions.

Were it not for that shoulder armor, he thought, perhaps their dominance could have stretched into the latter half of this season, rather than being gradually surpassed by the up-and-coming Elite.

As for their opponents, the China Competition Region's newly crowned kings Elite, they were the epitome of sleaziness. It was said that when this guild was unknown, their combat robes came in three sets—jungle camouflage, desert camouflage, and snow camouflage. But because they were so unsightly, they were stopped by the Super Competitive League, which was tasked, after all, not only with maintaining the fairness of its competitions but also their watchability.

When one of the top ten guilds disappears into the jungle during combat, leaving no one visible, what's there for the audience to watch? Even if your guild doesn't care about its image, the Super Competitive League must consider the ratings.

As a result, Elite switched to a nondescript earthy gray combat robe, so ordinary that one could hardly believe it was of a standard befitting a Grand Guild. To use a jest from above the community, wherever Elite members stood, you couldn't even recognize them as Chosen.

But it was this very design, one of the 'most failed' by popular account, that for a time won the passionate adoration of fans and audiences alike. This trend spread to the virtual games related to Eteliria, causing a wave where almost everyone in the game wore an earthy gray combat robe.

It even influenced the First World, sparking a trend among many Free Summoners; after all, the design was both 'fashionable' and practical—Elite clearly opted for it because of its natural camouflaging potential.

Or, as the guild's fans would say—it's sleazy enough.

So it goes—

Kaka couldn't help but shake his head. When it comes down to it, it's all about strength. If the members of his Jiefulite Red Cloak Team wore such earthy gray combat robes, they'd be labeled the most tacky guild in the First World by the next day.

But not now, of course. Should they try now, they'd only be mocked as bandwagoning dogs.

"This world is truly tough," Kaka sighed deeply.

"Kaka, what are you lamenting now?" Six Shadows came excitedly from behind the bush and, hearing the former's sigh, curiously asked.

"Neither a high school girl nor a bandwagoning dog; how should I live this life?"

"You must be sick in the head," Six Shadows rolled her eyes dismissively: "What's so great about those things? Speaking of which, have you seen the Silver Weslan people? Are they also participating in the trial?"

"Not necessarily."

"Not necessarily?"

Kaka glanced at her: "Don't you know? Silver Weslan's people come to this place every year. It's said they triggered that quest line involving the Green Dragon Meijeli. But there probably hasn't been much progress; otherwise, there's no need to 'grind reputation' year after year. They certainly wouldn't have much interest in such trials, not when you know how stingy that dragon is, nothing but a draconic Scrooge. It's only these smaller guilds that fall for its tricks."

"But didn't they participate too?" Six Shadows couldn't help asking.

"That's why I say it's not certain," Kaka spread his hands: "It depends on their mood; if they're in a good mood, they might participate. Mainly it's because the attention for this trial is too low. Big guilds release their newbies mainly for showcasing; they don't need such trivial tactics to groom them."

The platinum-haired elf girl couldn't help but look at her companion: "Has the Guild already approved your participation in the second half of the year's competitions? This will be your first public appearance, right?"

Kaka nodded: "Aren't you going too?"

"Which is exactly my worry."

"What's there to worry about? Don't you want to become famous?" Kaka replied matter-of-factly: "After you become famous, you'll have more income and can buy more high school girl supplies."

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