NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 12: Post-Mission Debrief
Panic was an inefficient emotion, one Evelyn had systematically eliminated from her responses years ago during a particularly grueling 72-hour raid. However, as she leaned against the corridor wall, the crimson text of Dumbledore's security alert burning in her vision, she felt a cold, sharp spike of something dangerously close to genuine dread.
Running was a conspicuous and inefficient option. Instead, she forced herself into a state of heightened awareness, her senses scanning for any sign of an approaching threat. The new ward on the door behind her was not ostentatious; it was a quiet, suffocating pressure, a blanket of immense magical authority that settled over the entire corridor. It felt ancient, complex, and utterly impassable.
[STATUS: Location access significantly more difficult. New solution required.]
"Indeed," she muttered under her breath.
It was imperative to move immediately. Every second she remained increased the probability of encountering the Headmaster himself. She pushed off the wall and began her retreat, moving with a fluid urgency she had not required on her approach. Every shadow seemed deeper, every distant sound a potential footstep. The castle no longer felt like an empty level map; it felt like the personal domain of a final boss she had inadvertently provoked.
The journey back to the dungeons was a blur of calculated risks and silent movements. She slipped back into the Slytherin common room just as the first hint of grey dawn began to touch the waters of the Black Lake. The password, "Ambition," felt like a bitter irony on her tongue.
She did not stop until she was back within the sanctuary of her four-poster bed, the velvet curtains pulled tight to shut out the world. Only then did she allow the full weight of the mission's failure to crash down upon her.
She lay in the darkness, staring up at the canopy, conducting a ruthless post-mission debrief.
[Mission: The Cerberus Harvest - FAILED]
Primary Objective: Acquire Cerberus Whisker - FAILED
Secondary Objective: Maintain Stealth Profile - FAILED
Consequences: Target location now under high-level security lockdown. Player character has been flagged by a Tier-God entity (A. Dumbledore).
The outcome was a catastrophic failure. Not only had she returned empty-handed, but she had rendered her primary objective infinitely more difficult and had placed herself on the radar of the one individual in this world she could not afford to antagonize.
"Foolish," she whispered into the darkness, the word sharp with self-recrimination.
Her analysis was brutal. Her original strategy—to use her own pacifying charm—had been solid and would have provided a stable, predictable outcome. However, the moment she saw Quirrell's enchanted harp, she had pivoted, attempting to take a shortcut by capitalizing on another's efforts. It was a classic strategic error: becoming greedy and rushing an objective upon seeing a chaotic opportunity, without a proper assessment of the risks. She had tried to accelerate the timeline and had failed as a result.
The most significant consequence, however, was the Dumbledore alert. He was now aware that an individual of considerable skill had breached the corridor's defenses. He would not know her identity, not yet, but he would be watching. The perceived difficulty of her entire endeavor had just escalated significantly.
Returning to the third-floor corridor was now out of the question. Dumbledore's new ward would be impassable with her current skill set. A new plan—and a new target—was required.
She pulled up her mental quest log, the crimson failure notice glaring at her. She dismissed it with a flick of her will and focused on the ingredient list.
[New Quest Objective: Acquire Legendary Wand Components]
- [ ] Cerberus Whisker (LOCKED)
- [ ] Whomping Willow Branch
- [ ] Mermaid Tears
The Cerberus whisker was locked. Very well. If one area becomes too high-level, one must grind in another until sufficiently powerful to return. Her eyes settled on the next item on the list: the Whomping Willow.
It was another high-risk target, a violent, semi-sentient magical creature. However, it was located out in the open on the castle grounds. Its defenses were physical, not complex, high-level wards laid by the most powerful wizard on the planet. This presented a different kind of challenge—a mechanics check and a timing puzzle, rather than a stealth operation.
A new strategy began to formulate in her mind, a complex web of timing, magical physics, and risk assessment. It was a long shot, but it was a more viable course of action than inaction.
The failure was a significant setback, but it had also provided a valuable lesson. This world was not a static game with predictable scripts. It was dynamic, it reacted, and it was far more dangerous than she had anticipated.
She had been humbled. It was time to adopt a more intelligent approach.