The smoke of the first day of the tryouts had not yet fully dissipated, and discussions on the forums about various "terrible plays" compilations and "god-tier carry" highlights were still in full swing. However, as the morning light of the second day once again illuminated the server list, an atmosphere distinctly different from the first day began to permeate. The revelry and chaos of the first day gradually settled, replaced by a more solemn and stark cruelty.
The departure of over 60,000 teams meant that the average strength of the surviving teams had significantly increased. The element of luck was gradually diminishing, and the weight of skill was increasing at an astonishing rate. If the first day was a tryout with mixed quality, then from the second day onwards, it was a true knockout stage.
At Riot Games headquarters command center, the atmosphere was more composed than on the first day. The technical team had passed the initial adaptation period and was more adept at handling various emergencies. The referee team's rulings also became more precise and decisive; with accumulated experience, their efficiency in resolving disputes greatly improved.
Qin Feng looked at the still vast but halved match schedule on the screen, knowing that the real test was just beginning. His instructions were concise and clear: "Maintain monitoring intensity, focus on matches of high-win-rate teams, collect data, and prepare for subsequent tournament analysis."
At ten o'clock in the morning, the second and third rounds of matches started on time.
The intensity of the battles instantly elevated a level.
Li Hao and his "Dawn" team, after narrowly advancing on the first day, faced their first strong opponent on the second day—a "Shadow" team composed of several high-ranked solo queue players.
The match fell into a stalemate from the very beginning. The opponent's mid-laner was extremely strong, even subtly gaining the upper hand in the lane against Li Hao. Zhang Wei's (Shadow) few ganks were all thwarted by the opponent's keen vision.
"Top lane, be careful, their jungler might be top," Zhang Wei reminded.
"Bot lane, don't push too deep, I don't have flash," Chen Jia (Moonshadow) reported key information.
However, a crisis still occurred. The opponent's jungler bypassed vision, coordinating with mid and top to launch a four-man dive on Wang Ke's (Stone) top lane! Wang Ke tried his best, trading one kill before reluctantly falling.
"My bad..." Wang Ke was a bit annoyed.
"It's okay, stay calm, we have an advantage bot lane," Li Hao forced himself to calm down and commanded, "Shadow, help bot lane dive, let's get the tempo back!"
A successful four-man dive on the bot lane barely stabilized the situation. But the opponent was clearly more experienced, utilizing their top lane advantage to continuously secure Rift Heralds, constantly pressuring the "Dawn" team. The game was dragged into the late game, and both sides engaged in a prolonged vision war and skirmishes around the Baron Nashor.
At a critical moment, Zhao Xu's (Meteor) ADC positioned too far forward and was caught by the opponent's support, instantly killed!
"ADC is dead! We can't do Baron! Retreat!" Li Hao's heart sank, and he quickly ordered.
But it was too late. The "Dawn" team, having lost their core damage, crumbled like a mountain, was team-wiped by the opponent, and watched helplessly as their opponents, with the Baron Buff, pushed down their base in one go.
The screen turned grayscale, and the word "Defeat" stung everyone's eyes.
The voice channel was dead silent. After preparing for so long, and fighting for two days, they still fell here. Unwillingness, disappointment, self-blame... complex emotions spread through the five hearts.
"I'm sorry... I got ahead of myself," Zhao Xu's voice was choked.
"It's not your fault," Li Hao took a deep breath, and despite feeling equally bad, he stepped up as captain, "Our overall coordination still isn't good enough, and our detailed execution isn't as good as theirs. A loss is a loss, we... we'll come back next year!"
The "Dawn" team's journey in the National Tournament ended in the second round of the tryouts. Like countless grassroots teams with dreams, they became stepping stones on the path of the strong, under the cruel knockout mechanism. But this experience, this process of giving their all, will surely become an indelible mark in their youth.
In stark contrast to "Dawn's" struggles was the "Breaking Army" team's consistent stability and power.
Their opponents on the second day were also a team that had achieved good results in the city tournaments. However, in front of "Breaking Army," they appeared vulnerable.
Han Feng's (Sharp Edge) mid-laner displayed terrifying dominance, completely stifling his opponent in the laning phase, with nearly double the minion kills. Wang Hao's (Gui Shu) jungler was elusive, turning the opponent's jungle into his own backyard. Both top and bot lanes, under the huge advantage radiated by mid and jungle, easily secured lane priority.
The game had only been going on for eighteen minutes, and the gold difference had already widened to over ten thousand. The "Breaking Army" team didn't even give their opponents any chance to struggle, like a precise killing machine, accurately and efficiently destroying all of their opponents' resistance, easily advancing.
The commentators in the official live stream spared no praise for them:
"This 'Breaking Army' team is simply the BOSS of the tryouts! This mid-jungle synergy, this snowballing ability, already has the prototype of a professional team!"
"It seems they are not just kings of the city tournaments, but very likely strong contenders for the championship of this event!"
Knockout stages are always a hotbed for dark horses. Some teams that didn't stand out much on the first day showed astonishing strength on the second day.
A team named "Spark," whose ADC player (ID: Chasing Star) used Vayne, pulled off an incredible play in a crucial losing game. With all teammates dead and their own base about to be pushed, he controlled Vayne, using the invisibility and dash of [Tumble] to weave through five enemy players, dealing damage. With extreme positioning and damage calculation, he miraculously achieved a "Pentakill" and defended the base! He then led his revived teammates to complete the comeback!
The replay of this play instantly went viral online, and "Chasing Star" and the "Spark" team became famous overnight! The commentators were so excited during the OB that they slammed the table in amazement, and the forums were full of posts like "Vayne God Descends" and "I can boast about this play for a year."
Of course, there were also regrettable surprises. A "Myth" sub-team, widely favored and composed of several Master, due to communication errors among team members, collapsed in a seemingly sure-win team fight, suffering an upset and stopping in the third round, triggering a lot of discussion and regret.
The second day of matches concluded amidst such high-intensity confrontations, dramatic comebacks, and upsets. Tens of thousands more teams were eliminated, and the number of survivors further drastically reduced.
The official report for the next day was titled—"The Strong Remain Strong, Dark Horses Gallop!" The report highlighted the dominant advancement of the "Breaking Army" team, the astonishing comeback of the "Spark" team, and the unexpected fall of some well-known teams.
The focus of online discussions also shifted from the initial lively spectatorship to analysis of strong teams' capabilities, attention to dark horse players, and predictions for subsequent matches. The professionalism and competitiveness of the event truly began to emerge.
Qin Feng looked at the battle report and data, and instructed Zhao Dong: "Pay close attention to 'Breaking Army,''Spark,' and other outstanding teams, collect their match data, champion pools, and tactical styles. Additionally, ensure good consolation work for the eliminated teams, thanking them for their participation."
Night deepened. For the teams already eliminated, this night was destined to be sleepless; for the teams that successfully advanced, after a brief celebration, there was even more arduous training and preparation.
The hourglass of the tryouts was rapidly flowing, leaving behind increasingly brilliant pure gold. The path to the city championship was already paved with the bones of the defeated, and only those who could step over these bones and continue forward were the true strong ones.