Something soft wrapped around Mike's skin. A bed was not the answer."Mike, look at this." Ice touched Mike's shoulder. Mike looked around and was amazed. They were all standing on a giant cloud that stretched out and connected to other clouds. In the distance he could see houses and a massive cloud shaped like a slope that one could walk up. But all of that was far away. For now they stood on a wide open area.

Hero equipped his sword and spoke quickly and seriously."Gear up, now."

Mike wanted to ask why, but he stopped himself and did it. He took his sword from his inventory. The moment he grabbed it he felt pain rush through his hands. It was the result of endless climbing.

Suddenly a piece of cloud next to them was torn upward into the sky. It began to change shape. The small cloud mass twisted into the form of a knight with an axe and a shield, all of it made of cloud.But more pieces of cloud were ripped free, each forming small knights with axes and swords. Soon there were enough to fill a whole group.

The three humans stood close together. Hero took the front, Mike and Ice would clear the back."Good, fast!" Hero burst forward with a speed Mike had never seen. He must have gained a few levels. You could feel the strength and speed just by watching him.

But Mike was also stronger now. He wanted to prove it. He shot forward so fast that the cloud beneath him compressed and burst apart. The cloud knights had no chance. They raised their shields but Mike and Hero were done with them within three seconds. One strike was enough and five knights dissolved at once. Their weapons made of cloud could not harm them.

After Mike and Hero destroyed every cloud knight, they stood side by side waiting to see what would happen next. Hero already sensed something."That was not all. Absolutely not."

He was right. The broken cloud fragments pressed together. The knights mixed into each other as if they were trying to merge into something huge.Something huge did appear. A massive troll made of cloud stood in front of Hero and Mike. It looked angry, but also milky and transparent. The cloud knights had turned into it.

"Good, we attack with one fast strike," Mike suggested. Hero nodded. Ice stepped next to Mike and nodded as well.

She ran forward. The troll swung its hands wildly, but Ice had no intention to hurt it. She needed to distract it.

Mike and Hero shot in from the sides with one clean strike. The right side of the troll burst apart, then the left. Both cloud masses shot into the air and exploded. The troll now looked strange and frightened. Its face was hard to read as everything twisted across its body.

Suddenly it shot upward into the sky.Hero and Mike moved protectively in front of Ice, but it seemed the troll did not want to attack.

"He ran away," Hero said and looked around their surroundings.

"Okay, I think we will get another chance," said Mike as he watched Hero walk ahead. Very soon they would find out.

Ice finally spoke as well. "Look, a village."He pointed toward the distant settlement. The houses were made of clouds, darker than the ones around them, and their shapes were clearly visible. They naturally kept walking forward. They wanted to reach the village and then decide what to do next.

But suddenly three goblins burst out of the ground. Their skin looked like clouds, yet this time they carried real weapons. Hero flinched. "Who is bothering us now?"Mike shook his head. He had no idea.

Mike dashed forward, thrusting his sword ahead. It sliced through one goblin like a needle. Mike pulled the blade free, and the cloud goblin shot into the air and dissolved. The other two held knives made of iron. They slashed and stabbed, but Mike blocked every strike. He swung his sword in a downward arc that cut straight through both of them. They vanished within seconds.

Mike had to admit that the creatures in this game were giving him no trouble at all. At least that was what he believed at the time. If only he knew what was coming.

The ground trembled. A massive statue rose from beneath the surface. It was not made of cloud but of stone, wrapped in swirling mist that seemed to strengthen it. An axe rested in one hand and a sword in the other. It stood motionless and towered above them, taller than all three stacked together. The clouds completely covered its surface.

Suddenly the statue moved. It stepped forward and swung the sword through the air, almost as if testing whether the blade was still sharp. Then it spoke out of nowhere. "Leave this place."

Hero stepped in front of the creature and answered boldly and clearly. "We will not."Why would they leave? They had just arrived and were ready for a fight. The guardian could not be that strong. At least that was what they thought.

They waited for an answer, and they received one. Just not the kind they wanted.

A fast strike tore through the air. A flash of red followed. Blood burst from Hero's arm stump."Rghh!" Hero screamed as his arm hit the soft ground, turning the cloudy floor red."I dodged it!" Hero shouted in pain.

The creature actually answered. "I know."

Those words sent a shiver down Mike's spine. He repeated them to himself. "I know? What does that mean? Oh wait."

Mike saw that Hero was in real trouble. Fighting with one arm was nearly impossible, especially since the arm holding his sword had been severed. Mike understood immediately that this guardian was nothing to play with.

"Ice, go heal his arm!"Ice nodded and ran to Hero. The severed arm disappeared, leaving only blood behind. Hero's sword dropped to the ground near his feet. His golden chestplate was covered in red, only thin lines of gold still visible beneath it.

Mike stepped in front of them to shield them. "You are really fast," he said, standing bravely between them and the guardian while staring into the creature's eyes.

The guardian struck again, even harder than before. Both its weapons crashed down on Mike. He raised his sword in front of his face just in time. The axe and sword slammed into Mike's blade, and he struggled to hold them back.

Then suddenly the pressure vanished. The weapons shot upward as if pulled away.Mike blinked and saw Hero standing beside him again, now with both arms restored.

"Are you ready to finish him, Mike?" Hero asked."Of course."

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