Chapter 5: Side Effect of Percepshrooms

Stan's POV.

Looks like I've underestimated these kids again.

"No, nothing. I must have been dreaming," Dipper's voice echoes from the video playing in front of me.

I'm currently in Ford's office. I've set up this place to become a room dedicated to gathering information related to Gravity Falls and the Mystery Shack.

The video in front of me is a conversation between Mabel and Dipper from last night. I now understand why he's been sticking to me all morning, he's pretty clever.

[If they're a concern for you, I can just delete them, right?]

GIFfany's voice suddenly resonated from a screen next to me. She's starting to feel more comfortable with me, it seems she trusts me more.

It's really as I hoped.

You have to understand that it only took GIFfany thirteen hours to reveal her true nature to Soos. She's too naive despite her technological nature.

It's worth noting that, although she showed me her true supernatural nature by appearing on my phone at breakfast, I still haven't asked her questions about her origins and she hasn't revealed them.

I'm not insensitive enough to ask for such intimate information in such a short time in our "relationship," and I already have this information anyway. I'm not going to rush her.

"Haha ~ very good joke, GIFfany. But, it's well known that you shouldn't kill people," I say, tapping the screen where she is.

"Their distrust of me doesn't really worry me, I'm satisfied with simply having your trust."

I haven't said so many sweet words since one of my ex-girlfriends. It should be noted that she was a drama queen, a bit too possessive actually.

[Haha ~ yes, I was just kidding of course. By the way, I got the information you asked me to look for.]

Several images of teenagers and adults appear on my screen. I recognize all of them.

You have to understand that at the time of my reincarnation or transmigration, I had an ordinary memory, but things are different now thanks to the Percepshroom.

I'm literally a living supercomputer. You have to understand that Mabel's pig was literally able to create a machine capable of helping him understand the truth of the universe.

He was even able to create weapons capable of firing laser beams with almost nothing interesting.

"I'd like you to contact this young girl for me. You can offer her double her current salary."

I indicate to GIFfany the image representing a young girl with blue hair, in a lab coat. She seems to be in her twenties.

(Image)

Her name is Terri. She's a remarkable scientist with a good personality, I think she could be part of the small team I'm trying to put together.

Ford saw things too small and he didn't really have money to properly finance things but I'm different.

I want to create an independent group powerful enough to become a significant force in this reality. Of course, in others too.

It's just a shame that Terri's current mentor isn't easily controllable. If it was just a matter of money, I would have spent a lot, but she desires glory.

It's something I can't provide her with currently and I don't plan to help her reveal parallel realities for something as stupid as glory.

I would have liked to have two scientists capable of opening a dimensional portal without the help of a supernatural entity like Bill Cipher.

This feat puts Terri and her mentor on the same level as Ford and Old Man McGucket.

According to the information GIFfany gave me, the Amphibia plot hasn't started yet.

[Just to know, honey, why are all the people in the images women?]

GIFfany's voice tone seems to cool the room. I turn to her innocently, as if I hadn't noticed her little jealousy.

"It's probably a coincidence, it's not really my fault if extremely competent or interesting people are almost all women," I explain, shrugging.

Yes, almost all. There's a man in the bunch, but I can't contact him now and I'm not sure I can convince Rand Ridley.

This man is a genius, sure, but... he's simply too uncontrollable and the information about him is extremely protected.

[Sorry for overreacting, it's just that I don't like seeing you hanging around real women.]

"It's okay. *Bing*", the alarm interrupts me.

It seems I've finally found those damn gnomes. Normally, they're presented in the show as being common in the forest, but in reality, they're hard to find.

...

It didn't take me long to get to the Gravity Falls forest.

"Got you."

"Shmebulock?"

*Zip*

The moment the gnome turns to me, I give him a shock with my Stun Gun.

"Sh...mebulock..."

I slowly approach him to tie him up before hanging him from a branch. I need a guide in this forest.

Having Ford's journals is good, but having a guide in this forest would be a significant advantage for me.

I also need to obtain several samples in this forest and study various objects, like the currently buried spacecraft.

So, I really need to increase my influence on the supernatural side of this town.

[Are you sure you really need this thing, honey? We can always use a drone to map the forest.]

GIFfany's words seem logical, but she's too naive.

You have to understand that when humans colonized this place, they didn't notice the supernatural and it's still the case today.

This shows that the abnormal world of this reality knows how to conceal itself from human eyes through various methods. Sometimes, I can even read in the journal that Ford doesn't know everything in Gravity Falls.

There are even times when he speculates. This explains how he ended up making a pact with Bill.

"Yes, I'll need him if I want to control the gnomes."

I spent the following hours knocking out and tying up all the gnomes that passed by here, except for the second one after Shmebulock.

I wanted him to bring me Jeff, but so far, no sign of Jeff the gnome leader.

*Bam*

[I think... it's going to be more complicated than expected.]

GIFfany's voice echoes from my phone. She seems to worry a bit because of the monstrous appearance of the gnomes in their combined form.

"Release Shmebulock and the others."

"Nah, and you're just about to join them," I say, taking the whistle I had prepared for the occasion.

I wanted to keep this secret as long as possible. That's why I knocked out the gnomes using only my stun gun, when I could have simply whistled to neutralize them.

I wanted to avoid any information leak.

"STOP!" The monster composed of gnomes starts rolling on the ground and disassembling.

"You submit to me or...?"

The one I identified as their leader, aka Jeff, seems to hesitate for a moment, so I start playing again. I had to continue this little game for about ten minutes before I finally bridled his will.

"Okay... I give up. You're our new leader."

"You see, it wasn't so difficult?"

At my words, Jeff turns pale. It seems I've awakened a new fear or trauma in him.

[Perfect. I really wonder if you can be kind outside of me and the Mystery Shack residents.]

"Of course, it's just that these gnomes would never have cooperated if I had offered them a deal," I reply to GIFfany.

They're monsters, not civilized creatures.

"We would have accepted if the deal was right *whistle*."

I interrupt Jeff's words with a quick whistle. It seems I'll have to train him a bit more.

...

[You're not going to that 'place' you mentioned?]

GIFfany is referring to Gravity Falls' supernatural market, otherwise known as "The Crawlspace," a place Ford mentioned but never discovered.

"There's no rush, GIFfany. This place isn't going to disappear, and I'm not short of objects to study."

I've noticed that since consuming the supernatural mushroom, I've developed not only great intelligence, but also an immense thirst for knowledge.

I now understand why Mabel's pig tried to know all the truth of the cosmos thanks to a machine that amplifies mental faculties.

This method may seem effective at first glance, but I doubt this truth is real.

It's highly likely that he obtains an answer based on his knowledge at that time, and not an absolute truth like some fictional characters seek, such as Leylin Farlier, the protagonist of Warlock of the Magus World.

The desire to satisfy this curiosity in me is certainly a side effect of the Percepshroom.

"For now, I'm going to use the eyes and arms of the gnomes to monitor the supernatural side of this town," I say honestly.

[Listening to you, the beings you call supernatural are dangerous or good to be used and thrown away], GIFfany's voice didn't contain her usual loving or playful tone.

It seems I've inadvertently shown a form of racism in front of a representative of a community included in my remarks.

"No, of course not. I just want to prevent them from making a mistake, hurting people, or worse," I explain while removing my exploration clothes.

(Image)

They're similar to Ford's when he came back, but more high-tech, since I added a gas mask and some small functions like a temperature regulator.

[Stan... I have to confess something to you], the voice coming from my phone had an abnormally serious tone, and she didn't call me "honey," but directly "Stan."