Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Dirty Lee Challenge
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There were four icons inside the folder.
[Please install the program first before viewing.mp4]
[Dimension Protection Program.exe]
[Dimension Conversion Program.exe]
[Program Instructions.txt]
I read the program instructions.
[Dimension Protection Program.exe]
[This program prevents mental contamination, memetic pollution, perception alteration, reality manipulation, etc., caused by the entities appearing in the video.]
Installing this should prevent incidents like the multidimensional community fiasco.
[Dimension Conversion Program.exe]
[Converts entities imperceptible to 3D human senses into recognizable forms. High-dimensional lifeforms and backgrounds with cultures similar to humans are converted into 3D human and 3D world equivalents.]
So it lets you see the unseen and turns things like constellations into human shapes.
"Installation's done quick."
I installed both programs and played the video.
『I don't wanna eat. Meals are so boring!』
On screen, a blue-skinned Westerner with two horns lounged on a sofa, complaining.
As his pink eyes turned to the right wall, the numerous photos decorating it zoomed in.
『Sigh, nothing left worth challenging anymore.』
A photo taken at the peak of a mountain reaching the boundary between space and sky.
A photo on an asteroid surface with lava erupting from cracks.
A photo straddling a falling nuke.
A photo surfing a tsunami.
Just looking showed how insane this guy's challenge spirit was.
『Sigh...』
『Food's boring!?』
『Ah! Chef Ando!』
Then, an old cartoon-style pig chef popped in.
『For a guy like you, Mr. Ando has created a new food!』
『Whoa! What's that? An apple!? No way, the fruit of knowledge!?』
『Even more than the fruit of knowledge! It's the Dirty Lee Apple!』
『Dirty Lee Apple!?』
Chef Ando tossed an apple into the air and swung his kitchen knife.
The diced apple pieces neatly landed on a plate he'd pulled out.
『Tastes like the fruit of knowledge! But eating it brings up an unbearable intense image!』
『Unbearable image!』
『One that makes your stomach churn, wanna rip your hair out, chills run through your whole body! Think you can eat it without puking!?』
『I'll challenge it right now!』
The man ate the Dirty Lee Apple.
『Ooh, it's delicious!? I could eat this any—』
His confident face twisted into spasms.
『Blugh! Guh! Heuk! Keuk!』
『Oh no! He couldn't handle it! Don't worry, he won't die!』
Leaving the collapsed foreigner, Ando winked at the camera.
『The taste is guaranteed! But can you withstand the intense art called mental assault that hammers your brain? I, Ando, guarantee it—no massive courage and indomitable spirit, no chance! So I declare!』
He raised the apple high to the sky.
『Whoever finishes this whole thing can call themselves a hero!』
Suddenly, the apple split, and more appeared.
『Of course, we've divided into stages—so those craving even fiercer challenges, take 'em one by one!』
The red apple from before zoomed in.
『Dirty Lee Apple – Original! Pure simplicity with basic prep!』
A blue apple like a blue sun zoomed in.
『Dirty Lee Apple – Supernova! Specially prepped with extra ingredients! Brain-hammering intense art hundreds of times stronger than Original!』
A bizarre black apple warping the light around it zoomed in.
『Dirty Lee Apple – Black Hole! I personally fine-tuned the flavor! Power that pierces the soul!』
Then Ando dropped a bombshell.
『If you eat the Black Hole flavor unscathed! You'll get a VIP badge for front-of-line entry to my restaurant for the next 100 years!』
The screen went black.
Long text filled it.
『This product is a joint venture by WK Corporation, Chef Mr. Ando, and human Lee Seung-hoon. Unauthorized copying or distribution will result in meeting WK Corporation's specialist lawyers. This product must be consumed in a safe location—use elsewhere risks danger.』
『No physical damage from mental assaults caused by this product. However, possible effects include nausea, stomach pain, reduced will to live, convulsions, depression, bipolar disorder, ego fragmentation, auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, extreme fear of humans, etc. These are temporary, so no worries. If symptoms persist 24+ hours after stopping use, seek medical attention immediately.』
『We recommend staged consumption: Original → Supernova → Black Hole. Skipping stages can cause severe mental shock—not advised.』
『All issues from consumption are the buyer's responsibility.』
The ad ended.
The scene cut, subtitles appearing at the top.
[Dimensional conversion and protection activated]
Two boys who looked like elementary schoolers greeted the screen.
『Hello! Munchkin Mary Sue of Constellation Channel!』
『I'm Poppi!』
The bowl-cut kid missing a front tooth was Munchkin Mary Sue.
The horn-rimmed glasses kid with blonde bangs in a bridge was Poppi.
『What's today's broadcast? It's challenging Chef Ando's Dirty Lee Apple 3-set!』
『Are these really hard enough to call challenges? We'll try first! Original!』
The two boys cut the red apple small and ate.
『Mm, tasty? Super tasty!』
『Right? What's hard about something this good?』
No sooner had they swallowed than they grimaced.
『Suddenly a dirty image popped up.』
『A 3D human dancing naked in space... I like 3D humans, but this is...』
『Ugh, nauseous. But not unbearable.』
『Just kinda gross? Meh, no biggie.』
『We can handle this! Food tastes fine! Next up...』
Confidence boosted, the boys pulled out the black apple.
『Black Hole flavor!』
『Skipping Supernova?』
『No sweat? Straight to it!』
『OK!』
The boys cut and ate the black apple.
The screen blacked out, then lit up.
『Blugh! H-humans guh! S-scary...』
『Eek! Keuk! 3D shi—! Humans haaate! Nooo! Guh!』
The scene shifted to the boys convulsing in hospital beds.
Foam at the mouth, limbs twisted—flash, gone. A doctor gave an interview.
『Seizures calmed, but they've developed extreme fear of humans. Especially 3D humans—so bad they can't make avatars or watch their lives anymore.』
『Trauma?』
『Worse. Fear's engraved in their souls, not minds. Sigh, wonder if it can be cured...』
After that, videos of other constellation-like beings tackling Dirty Lee.
『Dirty Lee Challenge? Success to the end gets VIP at Ando's restaurant!? Let's go!』
A six-paired-eye octopus alien ate the red apple.
『Urk! What is this! Tasty trash!』
The alien vomited its stomach out its mouth and rinsed it clean with water.
『Ando... restaurant...』
A massive rock lifeform whose head touched the clouds swallowed the black apple.
『Guwaaaaaargh! Hate! Hate this!』
Spewing lava wildly, the rock lifeform crumbled down.
『Interest, piqued. Consume, desire.』
A giant flying brain wiggled neuron bundles like tentacles into the blue apple.
『Headache! Intense! Headache! Brain cells! Dying! Fear! Fear! Fear! Fear! Death! Annihilation!』
The giant brain shed spinal fluid like tears and plummeted to the ground.
Countless other aliens, non-humans, interdimensional civs tried the Dirty Lee Challenge—but none made it to the end.
'Most pass stage 1 easy, but stage 2's the killer.'
Near the video's end, familiar faces appeared.
『Senior, you sure you're eating that?』
『Yeah, gotta try it once.』
Intern from Wall TV for You, Announcer, and Announcer.
『But it's super dangerous? The ones we tried interviewing this time all lost it to that—whole thing canceled...』
『That's why I'm eating it.』
The mouth-and-ears-only Announcer brimmed with resolve.
『A true journalist stakes their body for the scoop. From now, I'll eat this myself, test Dirty Lee Challenge—DLC—dangers. Recording? Here goes!』
Announcer bit into the blue apple.
『Taste itself is amaaazing, zing, blugh!』
『Senior!』
『Blugh! Keuk! Ptoo! Fugh!』
『Senior! Snap out of it! Senior!』
I paused the video.
'Haven't turned on Wall TV for You lately?'
Just in case, I powered it on.
[We're sorry. Wall TV for You will be on hiatus due to Announcer's illness. Please send lots of support for Announcer's recovery—we'll resume broadcasting once he's better. - Wall TV for You Director, Director]
Flipping channels showed the same on all—regular TV functions halted.
"Get well soon."
Back to the computer, resumed the video.
Little playtime left, and it wasn't a challenge this time.
『I know the source of that video. It's a movie.』
『DLC's mental attack is just a movie?』
An interview video—the subject masked in white cloth, voice distorted, identity hidden.
『Yes, our troupe visited Original Earth once. Started new filming, cast a human actor who suddenly mocked our art!』
『Hmm, what happened?』
『Gave him our gear—told him to film himself.』
『No way, DLC footage?』
『Exactly. That human's work.』
『That horrific stuff from a mere human hand! Original's tolerable, others amped by Chef Ando—but still shocking!』
『Wanna hear more shocking? That guy, the human, knew Blue Moon!』
『What!?』
The distorted voice trembled.
『Blue Moon's favorite human. Wasn't our fault, his video, but it thinks we made it—still hunting us. Debated even coming here.』
『Aw.』
『Troupe disbanded, all fending solo now. You'll blur voice and face, right? Interview's top secret?』
『Of course.』
『Phew, good...』
Suddenly, the screen shook.
『You, ugly artist, jobless bum, toucher of my human, day-night-blind slob, water-shower freak—found you at last!』
『Aaaah!』
『Blue Moon! Run!』
Video ended.
Tears wouldn't stop flowing.
『Mr. Lee Seung-hoon, why are you crying so much?』
"Countless dimensions savored my art, but no one got it. Body lives, but as an artist, I'm dead."
『He can die for all I care.』
Sarang's gotten spicy lately.
"Anyone—someone to recognize 「Human」 artistry."
『Impossible dream.』
"..."
Real spicy.
Above Lee Seung-hoon's mansion.
The Scales of Good and Evil manifested, drawn by intense good karma.
The scales reflected Lee Seung-hoon's good karma.
Karma from saving souls endlessly tormented by heart poison.
It also showed karma that should have been but wasn't.
Karma from reviving those cooked into ingredients at Happiness Apartments over 10 years via deal with Chef Ando.
The scales tipped.
Not by taking villains' luck for the virtuous.
By consuming good karma directly to fulfill the wish.