Martial Era: Starting With The Strongest Talent-Chapter 74: Not Just Us

"So," the manager said through the holographic video call, her voice calm but heavy with authority,

"what did you find?"

Adam stood silently to the side, arms relaxed but posture attentive. He was just as curious as Vanessa, maybe even more so.

If the acolytes had uncovered something concrete about the barrier, it might finally explain the unease that had been clawing at the back of his mind.

Mark had placed the device, something between a tablet and a compact laptop, on the open tail of the truck.

The holographic screen projected upward, showing the manager’s veiled figure clearly. Her eyes flicked briefly to Adam standing behind Mark, lingering for half a second before returning to her subordinate.

"I’ll go straight to the point, ma’am," Mark said.

The manager gave a slight nod.

"Go on."

Mark inhaled and spoke with practiced clarity.

"The barrier isn’t self-sustaining. Our readings confirm it’s being powered by an external generator."

Adam’s gaze sharpened. Vanessa, on the screen, remained silent.

"Explain everything."

Mark nodded and launched into the details, energy fluctuations along the barrier’s edge, directional flow patterns, stabilization nodes, and the way the power source compensated whenever pressure was applied from within.

Adam listened carefully, mentally stitching the information together while watching the manager’s expression for any reaction.

When Mark finished, he concluded,

"In short, if we locate and destroy the generator, the barrier should collapse. Alternatively..." he hesitated briefly, "...we could wait for the higher-ups to send reinforcements. There’s no way they won’t notice a barrier this large covering not just an incursion but a sector aswell."

Adam agreed with that assessment. A phenomenon of this scale couldn’t possibly go unnoticed for long.

But the manager didn’t respond immediately.

The silence stretched.

Then she spoke.

"That won’t work."

Mark blinked. Adam’s brows knit together slightly.

Before either of them could ask why, the manager continued, her tone tightening.

"Express 67 didn’t arrive at its station today."

Their expressions varied, yet both conveyed the same thing: shock

"And no," Vanessa added, anticipating their thoughts, "it wasn’t stopped by the barrier. There was no trace of the train anywhere. No wreckage or emergency signal, just an empty track ."

For a moment, no one spoke.

If what she was saying was true, and Adam had no reason to doubt her, then this wasn’t an isolated incident.

Adam’s heartbeat quickened, loud enough that he was sure he could hear it.

His thoughts immediately drifted elsewhere, far beyond this Sector to his own Sector...

A cold realization crept in.

There was every chance other low-tier, outer-zone sectors were already facing the same fate.

And if that was true.

This situation was far bigger than any of them had imagined.

Adam felt a strange sense of clarity settle over him.

Is that why I’ve been feeling tense all this while?

The unease he’d been brushing off, the constant feeling that something was wrong, it finally had a shape albeit not a complete one.

Adam didn’t know how Henry could have influenced other sectors, not in detail, but it didn’t take much imagination to fill in the gaps.

Henry had never been acting alone. This was a martial clan they were dealing with, one that operated in shadows and contingencies.

Who knew how many agents they had scattered across the Alliance, quietly setting things in motion long before anyone noticed?

Vanessa’s voice came through the call again, steady despite the weight of the situation.

"But we shouldn’t lose complete hope yet. It could still just be a delay."

Adam didn’t react. Optimism had never been his strong suit. Hope without information was just another way to get blindsided.

After a brief pause, the manager turned her attention back to Mark.

"Good work, you can return to the sector. We’ll be convening a strategy meeting there shortly to determine our next course of action."

Mark straightened slightly.

"Understood, ma’am."

The manager’s gaze shifted, landing on Adam. She nodded once, her acknowledgement of Adam loaded with unspoken meaning, before the screen flickered and the call cut off.

The silence that followed felt heavier than before.

Mark turned to Adam. "It’s time to head back."

Adam nodded. There was nothing more to do here.

One by one, they climbed back into the truck. The engine rumbled to life, and soon the vehicle rolled forward, carrying them away from the incursion and back toward the Sector.

It was already evening when the truck rolled back into the sector, and by the time they reached the inner districts, night had fully fallen.

The difference was immediate, and jarring.

The streets were empty.

All citizens had already been informed about the barrier sealing the sector, and in response, everything had ground to a halt. No work. No school. No training sessions. No businesses operating. Even the hookers Adam was used to seeing loitering under neon lights at night were nowhere to be found.

Adam stared out the window as the truck moved through streets that should have been alive.

This Sector was supposed to be a hub of commerce for the low-tier regions, thriving because of its proximity to the mid-tier zone. Instead, it felt like a city holding its breath.

They were the only vehicle on the road.

Lights were on in apartments and as the truck passed, Adam could see faces watching from behind glass windows, men, women, families. Some hid behind curtains, others stood openly at their windows.

But every expression carried the same thing.

Fear.

Fear of what the barrier meant.

Fear of what was coming next.

The truck continued on in silence before finally stopping in front of the hotel where both Adam and Abigail’s group were staying. As they disembarked, Mark stepped down as well.

"The meeting will be held in an hour," he said, looking between them.

"Your presence would be greatly appreciated."

After a brief exchange of nods, Mark waved them off and the truck pulled away, disappearing into the empty streets.

Adam adjusted his posture and turned away, joining Abigail and her group as they headed into the hotel.

The lobby was quiet, stripped of its earlier bustle, its atmosphere subdued, just like the rest of the sector.