As for Eldrid and Keldor, they exchanged a knowing look, their interest piqued by Evan's performance in the battle. They had been keeping a close eye on the young prince ever since he had begun to make waves in the clan, and his display of skill in the recent battle had certainly demanded more of their attention. They could no longer dismiss him as a mere waste of space, as they had once thought.

Keldor's excitement was palpable, and his admiration for the young cultivator was written all over his flushed face. His gaze was fixated on the holographic screen floating before him, his slender fingers gripping his chin, as if he could extract more secrets from the young cultivator's incredible display of power by sheer willpower alone. 

"What other tricks do you have up your sleeve, my dear young master? Do I need to crack open your skull to find out?" he mused with a grin.

"Old friend, can you believe it? We totally misjudged him just because of his control-type soul plate." Eldrid said, startling Keldor awake from his disturbing thoughts.

Keldor nodded with a grin, "Absolutely, we were way off. His Highness has surpassed our expectations by far."

"My grandson has proved us wrong, and I love it!" Eldrid chuckled, willing to recognize Evan as his grandson only because Evan had proven he was extremely talented. "Remember when we found out he had awakened a control-type soul plate? We could have easily overlooked his demands and exiled him from the capital, but we didn't. And it's a good thing we didn't because he's proven that he is a valuable asset to our clan."

Keldor agreed, "Yes, indeed. We should keep a closer eye on him and see what other talents he's hiding. He might just be our ace card for the upcoming The Imperial Wealth Redistribution Competition that is to start in the season of the Frozen Void."

"You read my mind." Eldrid nodded in agreement.

If someone had witnessed Keldor and Eldrid conversing like old friends, they would have been utterly bewildered. After all, what kind of status did Keldor hold to command respect from someone as prominent as Eldrid? Wasn't he just a member of the elder council? But now it seemed like he had a far greater identity than that.

Meanwhile, inside the first floor of the monster tower, Evan scratched his chin, his eyes narrowed in deep thought.

"It's worth noting that wormfaces are remarkably susceptible to ice elemental attacks. Armed with this knowledge, I feel like I have a trump card up my sleeve, a surefire way to gain the upper hand in any future encounters with those slimy creatures. Yes, their vulnerability to cold is a significant weakness, but in my hands, it will be a weapon that I will exploit to gain an advantage over them if they ever cross path with me."

Wormfaces were never a crucial component of the game, as indicated by the absence of online guides or discussions regarding their capabilities and limitations on Earth. Moreover, since Christian Wolfie's in-game persona belonged to the galactic soldier category, he wasn't equipped with ice-based abilities, which prevented him from discovering the wormfaces' vulnerability to ice elemental assaults. Hence, he remained unaware of it until now, which explains why he was taken aback when he unintentionally exploited its weakness.

"How long have it been since I appeared on this floor of the monster tower?"

Evan wondered how much time was left before the trial of the first floor of the monster tower would conclude.

"It feels like hours, but without any sense of time, it's hard to tell."

Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing how much time was left before it would end. After all, there was no visible countdown or clock to guide him, and he hadn't been keeping track of time.

"I wish I had some way of knowing how much longer this trial will last. Is there anything in this tower that could give me a clue?" he muttered.

As if those were the magic words, a semi-transparent screen suddenly materialized in front of him. He blinked in surprise, not expecting any sort of interface to appear out of nowhere.

It read: [Remaining time: 2 hour 13 minutes!]

"There is still so much time left," Evan sighed. "I guess I will just have to keep moving and fighting whatever I come across until the trial comes to an end."

Evan resumed his movement as he knew that standing still was not a wise move since there was the looming threat of the wormfaces. 

He wasn't sure if he was moving further into the labyrinth of tunnels or not, but he knew he had to keep changing locations, or else he risked being caught off guard by the wormfaces.

As Evan made his way through the labyrinth, a sense of unease crept over him. The once-familiar passageways had become increasingly eerie and foreboding, as if the very walls were warning him to turn back. The air grew colder and thicker, pressing in on him like a physical weight. He could feel the dampness seeping into his bones, making it harder and harder to maintain his balance on the slick, moss-covered floor.

Drip! Drip! Drip!

The only sound there was the dripping of water echoing in the darkness, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. It felt like he was being paranoid again. 

However, despite the growing sense of dread, Evan pressed on, his courage unparalleled. True courage was not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to move forward in the face of it, and he was exhibiting such courage. 

After a while, Evan emerged into the open area within the labyrinth from the winding tunnel, his eyes squinting as they adjusted to the dimly lit space. The only sources of light came from glowing stones embedded in the roof and walls, casting an eerie and ominous glow.

A moment later, he caught sight of the group of eight wormfaces at the far end, and their beady eyes fixed on him with a hunger that made his skin crawl. 

With a weary sigh, Evan muttered under his breath, "Oh, well here we go again," as he reached into his inventory and retrieved his trusty magic sword.