Chapter 45: The Assemblage

The sanctuary transformed into a frantic, makeshift workshop. Spider, fueled by copious amounts of synth-caffeine, became a whirlwind of repurposed circuits and shimmering data cables. He worked with an intensity that bordered on manic, his nimble fingers weaving complex neural networks from scavenged OmniCorp hardware. Luna, meanwhile, coordinated with the Ghost Riders and Scrap Lords, directing them to scavenge specific high-grade processors and crystalline memory banks from abandoned research facilities in the outer sectors. The risk of being caught by OmniCorp patrols was high, but the stakes were higher.

Jason spent his time in rigorous mental training, guided by Aether. He practiced deep meditation techniques, visualizing his mind as an impenetrable fortress, honing his focus to an almost painful degree. Aether projected complex logical puzzles and paradoxical scenarios directly into his neural interface, pushing his cognitive limits, preparing him for the Architect's assault. He had to be a pure, unyielding conduit for the paradox, an immovable object against an unstoppable force.

"You must become a mirror," Aether instructed, its voice a calm anchor in the swirling mental exercises. "Reflect its logic back upon itself, but with a single, unresolvable distortion. The distortion of genuine, unquantifiable human chaos."