Zhao

Frostveil Xiao'Zhao's weapon, "Frostveil," is an experimental asset supplied through a confidential TOPS research project. Rather than merely projecting Ice-aligned Ether into strikes, the weapon channels Ether into its own structure. Under normal conditions, Frostveil is only half the weight of comparable weapons, but once in combat, its rapidly condensed ice edge gains far greater destructive power. The design might as well have been tailor-made for Xiao'Zhao Zhao, a Krampus Compliance Authority Judge, was one of the elite members who joined in the early days.

Though she looks innocent and cute on the outside, she's actually sharp-minded, meticulous, and principled. She puts great importance on "value" and "equivalent exchange" — not in the sense of pricing things with money, but in analyzing someone's ability and potential, giving an objective and long-term assessment of the impact they can make.

It's said this mindset didn't come from Zhao's work at Krampus, but had already taken root during her childhood. She evaluates not only others, but herself as well. "Only those with value deserve to be seen."

Though she rarely shows it openly, Zhao remains cautious toward kindness that comes without reason. It conflicts with her belief in "equivalent exchange," and she tends to assume the other person must have a deeper motive for offering help. As such, when dealing with Zhao, it's best to focus on mutual benefit first. If you want to break through her defenses with sheer sincerity and goodwill, you'll be fighting an uphill battle.

There's also one piece of intel that can't be fully confirmed: Zhao loves vegetables and dislikes meat, but she seems to be pretending she enjoys meat as well Zhao grew up in a large family that was both poor and struggling, where affection and trust never outweighed the rule of survival: "Whoever can bring the most benefit gets more to eat."

She looked sweet and likeable, but that only made others think she was easy prey. In that harsh, predatory environment, people quickly labeled her as "low value." So her elders wrote her off as someone who'd never amount to anything, leaving her to a fate of being dismissed and abandoned. Everything changed when she met a Krampus official who saw her hidden potential instantly. From that moment on, she sealed away her past with her family, joined Krampus, and vowed to prove her true worth. "Once you have value, you'll be seen even if you're crawling in the mud." Despite being part of The Outstanding Paragons Alliance, Krampus is not a company, but instead a self-regulatory organization for TOPS. Krampus's goal is to watch over the ongoings of the TOPS Round Table, seeing if all actions, no matter how cutthroat or morally grey, follow the core rules and interests of the alliance. If these rules are broken, Krampus is sent to interfere and punish the rule-breakers.[1]

Krampus has gained a fearful reputation in TOPS, with one its members, Zhao, being seen and called a "disaster" by employees working for companies in the alliance.[2]