Second game

The second round of banning and drafting begins. Both sides continue with the same banning strategies as the previous game.

The situation is completely different in the Pick phase.

This time, Chen Yuchuan got the strong Shadow Hunter, which is all-around great for ganking, chasing, and finishing off enemies, making it almost the ceiling for junglers right now.

Shenhe has locked in on [Raging Light Ranger], who is also a top marksman in the current version. He has excellent stats, long range and mobility, and strong lane-clearing ability. However, he requires a high level of positioning and skill.

The other positions on both sides were not very stable either, but were all fighting heroes: strong initiators, high damage, and inclined to head-on confrontations.

The commentator said with a smile, "It looks like the second game won't drag on to the late game. Whoever wins the first crucial team fight will be able to snowball immediately."

The lineup on the big screen froze, and the shouts and applause from the audience pushed the atmosphere to its peak; this was going to be a fierce and bloody battle.

In the fourth minute, the minion wave was pushed against the tower. Shenhe's eyes were fixed on the minion health, and he was slowly farming the minions. In his headset, the support whispered a reminder: "The jungler is missing."

Almost simultaneously, Shadow Hunter burst from the bushes, his thin rope lashing out. VLG's support flashed forward, attempting to coordinate with the jungler's rope to complete the control chain. But in that instant, Shenhe almost instinctively used his dash, shifting his position away from the minion wave to create some distance. Although the rope hit, it caused the support's crucial control skill to miss, and the ADC's core damage also missed.

This is the opportunity he needs to seize to turn the tables.

The enhanced skill burst forth after the displacement, silver bullets tracing sharp arcs through the air. At the same instant, Gao Mingyuan also controlled the enemy marksman; the disconnected support was powerless to hold on, and their health bar was decimated.

First Blood!

The commentator exclaimed, "My God! Styx's perfect dodge! That's incredible!"

The audience erupted instantly, but before the cheers could subside, Shadow Hunter pounced down in the same frame. Styx's health plummeted, Gao Mingyuan hurriedly used his shield to protect his teammate, and Chen Yuchuan was forced to Flash to avoid tower damage. Just when everyone thought ASG's bot lane could hold on, the screen flashed. At the moment the tower damage reset, Chen Yuchuan adjusted his angle, his movement skill precisely catching the moment the shield disappeared, and his execute skill swept across the screen. Chen He and Gao Mingyuan's health bars were simultaneously emptied.

Double Kill!

The crowd erupted in cheers. The commentators quickly added, "A small team fight resulted in three kills! Styx made an incredible play, but River's speed was equally terrifying, managing to pull the tide!"

The large screen camera thoughtfully switched to a close-up of the two people.

Shen He remained calm and composed, his expression serene. Even after securing first blood and being forcibly tower-dived and killed, his demeanor showed no emotion.

Chen Yuchuan's lips curled up slightly, his expression sharp yet playful. The light shone on his eyebrows and eyes, making his face appear even more aggressive.

The comments section was scrolling wildly:

"Both of them are monsters, that was so satisfying!"

"Styx's incredible positioning was amazing, and of course Chen Yuchuan is also very strong!"

"Why does it feel like Chen Yuchuan is only going to the bottom lane? The bottom lane is practically a mahjong table."

"Hmm...this seems a bit right? The rivalry is palpable."

"Just looking at their faces is enough to make them click, director, do you understand what I mean?"

Shen He gripped the mouse, his eyes fixed intently on the screen, without the slightest distraction. Yet, a thought clearly flashed through his mind—

This is what a top-tier jungler is like.

No matter how calm or precise you are, he can always seize that moment of timing amidst the chaos.

Ten minutes, the laning phase.

The opposing bot lane duo is recognized as a top-tier pairing across the entire region, possessing extremely strong dominance and giving their opponents almost no breathing room.

Shen He and Gao Mingyuan were a new duo, yet they played with surprising stability and excellent teamwork. Their cautious positioning made it nearly impossible for the opponent to secure a kill unless they forcefully tower-dived. Just when the audience thought both sides would peacefully develop their characters, Shen He suddenly changed the pace, initiating with a dash and ultimate to find an angle, which Gao Mingyuan instantly followed up with crowd control. This play was very aggressive, as it wasn't a suitable time for fighting. With both sides having similar levels of development, few were willing to take risks, and the opponents clearly thought the same way. Although they reacted quickly and pulled back to engage, they missed the initiative and failed to gain an advantage in the skirmish, their health bar being whittled down to zero.

The commentator couldn't help but exclaim, "Styx! He managed to secure a lane kill against the enemy's top bot laner!"

In the team voice chat, Gao Mingyuan couldn't help but laugh: "You mean you're going to start right away? Remember to say so in advance next time. Bro, you almost scared me to death!"

A few minutes later, Chen Yuchuan reappeared in the bottom lane. Shen He seemed to have anticipated this, having Gao Mingyuan set a trap in advance. Even though it was a 2v3 situation, he still told Gao Mingyuan, "Attack." A second before his health reached zero, the last bullet from his charged ultimate skill landed precisely, and River fell.

Shenhe commented, "This was a good trade." The mid laner couldn't help but joke, "The bot lane is like a fan meeting." Shenhe replied, "It's worth it if we can make the trade."

The comments section was scrolling wildly:

"My god, the speed of his hands is breathtaking."

"Running to the bottom lane again? I'm too lazy to even comment anymore."

"Hilarious, can we do this every game? I want to see if Styx will break down."

The situation remains tense. Having experienced the defeat in the previous game, Chen Yuchuan has clearly calmed down. Targeting the bottom lane is like his after-dinner dessert; after feasting in the jungle, he takes advantage of downtime to harass the enemy. Most of the time, he relies on his hero strength to set up vision deep in the jungle, and his feints in the jungle have repeatedly thwarted the pushes of his team's mid and jungle, making them less than successful. He has the capacity to take neutral objectives but doesn't force team fights.

Shen He's gaze remained focused, his movements unhurried and deliberate. But he knew perfectly well that no matter how hard the bottom lane resisted the pressure from the three opponents, it was merely a desperate struggle. Chen Yuchuan's reluctance to force a team fight was a deliberate attempt to lock him firmly in the bottom lane. The situation was never truly in ASG's hands.

He can't gain an advantage by trading minion waves unless he creates a breakthrough himself.

Eighteen minutes in, the dragon is about to spawn. VLG's vision control has almost completely blocked off the lower half of the river; if the mid and jungle recklessly come to the bottom lane, they'll only get counter-ganked. Chenhe glanced at his teammates' positions and said briefly, "Wait for me."

As the minion wave slowly pushed towards their side, Shenhe instructed Gao Mingyuan to set up vision control in the jungle. The enemy seized the opportunity to focus fire on him, leaving him with very low health. He had no choice but to retreat to the second tower. He deliberately feigned recalling, and the enemy support was clearly a bit careless. After forcing Shenhe back, they tried to push their vision further into ASG's jungle. Shenhe emerged with low health, but his voice remained calm as he told Gao Mingyuan, "Save your skills for now."

The battle was about to erupt. The opposing team, who had been lying in wait in the mid lane, arrived first, followed by their AD carry. Gao Mingyuan finally used his survival skill, giving the nearly low-health Shenhe 5 seconds to deal maximum damage, given that the three opposing players lacked burst damage. Shenhe only fell when the enemy mid, marksman, and support were low on health. As long as their mid and jungle could coordinate with Gao Mingyuan to control and finish off the remaining enemies, the dragon would be secured.

A team fight broke out, with VLG's mid laner coordinating with the top laner to flank and completely shut down SAG's jungler. As a result, communication between the top, mid, and jungle was disrupted, leaving them unable to attend to both ends. The jungler was severely wounded, and although the mid laner managed to clean up the remaining enemies, they were unable to continue chasing or taking the dragon. ASG's push was once again disrupted.

The audience also felt that the fight was just a hair's breadth short, and the arena was filled with discussion and noise. The commentator's voice rose: "Styx! Not only did he create a team fight opportunity, but he also dealt maximum damage before dying, a one-for-three trade! That was beautiful!"

The partner added, "Unfortunately, the top, mid, and jungle players were out of sync, and the dragon couldn't be secured, making the situation even more complicated."

Shen He stared coldly at the mini-map, knowing better than anyone that this was the only chance.

If even this aggressive, point-grabbing style of play can't shift the momentum in ASG's favor, then in this game, they can only continue to be led by the nose.

As expected, the situation was beyond saving. At the 22nd minute, the mid lane was caught out and lost, and ASG's high ground tower was forced to retreat.

VLG grouped up and pushed forward. Their own top laner and jungler were blocked by the enemy's top lane while on their way back to defend, leaving only Chenhe and Gaomingyuan to hold the line.

The commentator's tone was tense: "How are we going to defend against this? Two against four, two against five!"

Gao Mingyuan remained silent, raising his shield to protect Chenhe behind him. Chenhe calmly cleared the minion wave, waiting for the moment when the opponent's patience would run out.

Under the tower, River probed forward. The instant he threw out his short-range crowd control skill, Styx's ultimate ability unfolded. The skill's trajectory drew through the air, but abruptly intertwined with the Flash path, forming a precise arc. This was once the Ranger's most classic skill combination, extending the ultimate's range. However, due to changes in the official mechanics, this maneuver now has an extremely low success rate. But Shenhe not only dared to gamble, he succeeded! The three-stage ultimate's damage hit its full potential. The enemy mid-laner, who had no mobility and couldn't react in time to activate his shield, fell first. River reacted quickly, turning to focus fire with the AD carry. However, Gao Mingyuan's Flash shield was fully activated, allowing Shenhe to unleash his final ultimate at the very last second after the crowd control ended and his health was almost depleted. The bullet pierced through, and both AD carries fell simultaneously.

Ueno rushed back and seized the opportunity to defend the wave. The double kill notification sounded, and the entire arena erupted in excitement.

The commentator almost slammed his fist on the table: "Styx?! How did this ADC flash and use skills to cut through the backline?! How dare he do that?! That's incredibly clever! He managed to take down two opponents in a 2v5 situation!"

The audience seats were instantly overturned, and cheers rose in waves.

"Is this ADC even human?!"

"Damn, it's really burned out. Who can hold it now?"

"I thought only a ghost would dare to use Flash to pull in my ultimate, but it actually worked!"

The comments were scrolling by incredibly fast:

"I'm impressed, that's absolutely amazing."

"Guys, does anyone even remember this was his professional debut???"

"This is really a bit scary..."

"This move is going to be recorded in the history of the Rift, and Styx can brag about it for a lifetime."

The large screen focused on Shen He's face. His features remained gentle, yet seemed veiled by a thin mist, obscuring any expression of joy or anger. Under the spotlight, his expression was quiet to the point of being indifferent, a stark contrast to his earlier, intensely passionate actions.

However, the advantage still lies with VLG.

After adjusting their strategy, Chen Yuchuan secured the Baron Nashor and aggressively initiated a team fight, snowballing their advantage. At 35 minutes, ASG's Nexus was destroyed in a forced team fight.

After the match ended, the commentator breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "That was a really exciting game! Styx's performance was almost impeccable, and his individual skill is undeniable. But in team coordination, ASG was still just one step behind."

As the team members left the field, the camera focused on the two players again.

Shen He took off his headphones, his expression indifferent; winning or losing didn't seem to affect his mood.

Chen Yuchuan, however, had a faint smile on his lips, his eyes relaxed, and he was clearly in a cheerful mood.

In the audience, the girls could hardly contain their excitement.

"Holy crap, Styx looks so clean-cut! He should be doing a photoshoot. I really don't believe he's a professional gamer."

"Stop talking, I sent the video to my mom, and she asked me if this is a celebrity."

"Chen Yuchuan is like someone with ADHD, constantly harassing the bottom lane, but Styx just sits there calmly playing his own game as if nothing's wrong. It's so funny, what a corny plot of trying to get attention only to be ignored."

"Isn't Chen Yuchuan always a top star? But when Styx came on stage, he actually managed to steal half the attention?"

"Even the top-tier streetball king is still a top-tier star, okay?"

"And the key is that his skills are solid. A rookie's debut shouldn't be this stable."

Some joked with the girls: "After this is over, there will probably be a flood of CP (couple) edits."

Someone immediately chimed in, "Don't worry, the footage from just two rounds is enough for me to edit for a year, not to mention there's a third round."

The group burst into laughter, and the atmosphere remained lively even during the waiting period.

The rest area corridor was noisy, with players from both teams passing by one after the other. Reporters and coaches went into the interview room, while the players gradually returned to the rest room to rest and prepare for the match. The bright corridor lights cast long shadows of the two teams.

As Shen He bent down to tidy the keyboard cable, he suddenly felt a tightness beside him as someone grabbed his wrist.

He turned his head and met Chen Yuchuan's gaze. Those eyes were sharp, carrying the aggressiveness that hadn't been concealed on the field, yet a faint smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.

Chen He didn't pull away immediately; his fingertips twitched almost imperceptibly in his palm, so Chen Yuchuan gripped him even tighter.

See you next time.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was close enough.

Chen He finally lost his temper and tightened his wrist.

Just then, VLG's top laner suddenly turned around and shouted, "Yu Chuan? Let's go."

Chen Yuchuan released his grip and turned to leave. His steps were composed, as if nothing had just happened.

Shen He withdrew his wrist, his skin still warm. His expression remained unchanged, but he paused for half a second before taking another step.