At the edge of the pier, the source of the corruption loomed—a massive, pulsating core of darkness rooted in the bay. The Slime Invaders surged forward in a final, desperate hive-mind rush.

"The old ways," Granny replied, already aiming at a towering Slime Goliath emerging from the surf. "Space and time are just like strings on a bow. You just have to know how to pull them."

They stepped out into a world transformed. The vibrant green hills were now slick with purple and black sludge. Massive, gelatinous blobs crested the ridges like slow-moving waves.

Standing on the pier, drenched but victorious, the girl looked at her grandmother. Granny just wiped the dust from her bow and smiled. "Come on, then. We have a garden to replant."