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Just as William, Paul, and the others were looking up at the fleet above, a three-headed monster leading a group of smaller creatures attacked them.
These three-headed monsters were mini-bosses, higher in rank than the Jimus Heavy Armor Beasts.
They resembled Western dragons but had dog-like heads and scorpion-like tails, appearing incredibly ferocious.
William and his team weren't sure if Fordwell's group of big shots were here to farm monsters or just passing through, so they quickly organized for battle.
But just then, several energy beams descended from above like thunderbolts, instantly obliterating the group of smaller monsters. Simultaneously, a steel figure plummeted like a meteor.
The ground shook. A wave of air swept outward in all directions.
Everyone looked on in stunned silence.
It was a mobile suit somewhat similar in appearance to the Strike Gundam, colored white with blue and red accents. But this mech looked even taller, its armor's ion coating emitting a subtle halo.
It held a rifle in its right hand and a shield in its left. The moment it landed, all ten blue wings on its back spread open—as if an angel had descended, radiating light, majestic and powerful.
"My God, it's the Freedom Gundam!"
"So cool—this mobile suit is truly awesome!"
"I wish I could have a mech like this!"
"A divine piece of equipment worth 200 million euros is truly different!"
William and the others were stunned.
To be honest, it was their first time seeing the Freedom Gundam in person in the game. They'd only seen pictures and video previews in the mall's description before.
But the difference between promotional materials and the real thing was immense.
The Freedom Gundam had just slain numerous small monsters, immediately drawing the aggro of the monster horde and the three-headed beasts, which charged toward it.
The Freedom Gundam soared into the air, activating all its weapons: the two M100 "Balaena" plasma beam cannons on its wings, the two MMI-M15 "Xifias" rail cannons at its waist, the MA-M20 "Lupus" beam rifle, the four machine guns in its head and chest, and its missile system.
Full burst mode.
Energy beams tore through the sky, ripping through the atmosphere and the monsters' bodies. Cannon fire and missiles bombarded relentlessly like a meat grinder.
Boom boom boom boom boom—
In the midst of massive explosions, the entire horde of monsters was instantly annihilated.
Energy beams and explosions also shattered the rocky mountains, causing the earth to shake and crumble.
In just an instant, the entire monster wave was wiped out. Even the three-headed mini-bosses were slain in this overwhelming barrage.
"This output is insane!"
"Terrifying!"
"This one Freedom Gundam alone could sweep through the entire Red Giant Star, couldn't it?"
Everyone was astonished.
At the same time, more Gundams descended from above: the Blitz Gundam, Aegis Gundam, Buster Gundam, Duel Gundam, Strike Gundam... virtually every model imaginable.
There was even a mobile suit that could rival the Freedom Gundam in the anime—the Justice Gundam.
This mech, like the Freedom, was the latest cutting-edge Gundam jointly developed by the ZAFT military. In the story, it was later piloted by Athrun Zala, the male lead's rival and best friend.
Although the Justice Gundam's popularity was far less than the Freedom's—since it wasn't piloted by the protagonist—and its price in the game's shop was lower, its combat power wasn't much worse. Its rarity was comparable.
Therefore, it was also a rare sight.
"The monsters here today are contracted by United Government. You can come back tomorrow."
Fordwell's voice rang out, full of authority, leaving no room for doubt.
William and the others exchanged glances.
Although they were annoyed that these whales were hogging resources, they could only concede in the face of that lineup.
These people all came equipped with divine-tier gear. If Fordwell alone were to deploy all his various equipment, it wouldn't be impossible for him to crush their entire group.
"Let's go, guys. We'll have to come back tomorrow." William sighed, resigned.
Everyone grumbled but didn't argue further.
This wasn't the first time they'd encountered such a situation. And being able to see rare mechs like the Freedom Gundam and Justice Gundam at the same time? That alone made today's trip worthwhile.
The success achieved by Gundam completely elevated Stormwind Interactive Entertainment to godlike status—unrivaled in the industry.
It could be said that over seventy percent of all players in Infinite Realms were playing content from Stormwind Entertainment. The vast majority had become devoted fans.
Currently, Stormwind Interactive Entertainment was absolutely the most renowned and influential content provider in the industry globally.
Today, Stormwind had become synonymous with quality content. A benchmark in the industry. The universally recognized number one provider. An insurmountable mountain in the eyes of competitors.
And like Transformers, Gundam not only achieved massive success in gaming, but its various cross-industry collaboration products and merchandise also performed exceptionally well in the market.
Especially in the toy sector—Gundam figures became collectibles for adults and the most beloved toys for children.
In a high-end residential area in Seattle...
"Congratulations, Derek, on your new place!"
Brandon, Heather, Jessica, and other longtime employees from the original Stormwind Studios sat around a table, raising their glasses together.
The spacious Mediterranean-style apartment they were in was Derek's new home—over 1,600 square feet in one of Seattle's most desirable neighborhoods.
A few years ago, Derek would never have dreamed he'd be able to afford such a place.
But all of this had come true after joining Stormwind.
He'd purchased it as a pre-construction unit, but it still cost a fortune in this market. He'd earned the down payment himself.
He'd finally received the keys at the beginning of this year. It had now been renovated, and he'd officially moved into his new home.
In fact, it wasn't just Derek. Brandon, Heather, and the other young employees who'd once been struggling to make ends meet had all bought homes in Seattle with their own hard-earned money.
And all of this was because they'd been fortunate enough to join Stormwind. Fortunate enough to follow the right boss.
Over the years, Alex had given them bonuses totaling hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars—completely changing their lives, enabling these kids from ordinary families to establish themselves in one of America's most expensive cities.
Some of them were already married, like Brandon. Some were in relationships, like Derek and Jessica. And some were still single, like Heather.
Time had flown. These young people had all become industry elites and pillars of the company.
They had also witnessed the rise of Stormwind—watching it transform from a small studio into the world's most famous gaming company. A corporation with a market value of hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of employees.
"Jessica, how's the development of Legend of Sword and Fairy coming along? When will it be released? I'm so excited!" Heather asked eagerly.
For Legend of Sword and Fairy, Jessica's team was responsible for designing many of the scene artworks, so she was most aware of the project's progress.
However, Heather, Brandon, and the others were each currently working on different projects, so they weren't yet very familiar with Legend of Sword and Fairy's development status.
Moreover, due to confidentiality, specific details like the game's plot couldn't be revealed casually.
But everyone knew this was a game Alex highly valued. A project he had high hopes for.