LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

A few days later, the LPL Summer Split loser bracket finals came to a close.

Just as Su Mo predicted, JDG displayed terrifying tactical prowess and resilience.

Although TES's jungler duo remained aggressive in the early game, with JackeyLove even delivering a memorable performance in the third game, JDG was like a sophisticated machine. Kanavi's jungle carry Graves took over the game in the decisive match, while 369's Aatrox was like a god descending to earth in the crucial team fight, taking down four opponents at once and completely shattering TES's hopes of a comeback.

3: 2.

JDG narrowly escaped defeat and secured the last ticket to the finals, where they will face EDG at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.

……

October 9, Shanghai.

On this day, the air in Shanghai seemed to be filled with the sparks of e-sports.

As one of the largest indoor venues in China, the Mercedes-Benz Arena was packed with people. On the huge screen outside the venue, the promotional video titled "Ascending the Divine Steps" was playing on a loop. Every time Su Mo took off his mask and said, "The first place can only be me," a scream would erupt from the square.

In addition to the team flags of EDG and JDG, there were even a large number of light boards featuring the "Night Walker" from the show "Masked Singer".

The level of excitement surrounding this final was unprecedented in LPL history.

Backstage lounge.

Su Mo was resting with his eyes closed when the makeup artist touched up his makeup—although his skin was so good that it didn't need any embellishment at all.

"Brother Mozi, it's crazy outside." Flandre peeked in from outside. "I went to the bathroom just now and all I heard were people calling your name. JDG seems to be under a lot of pressure. I saw 369 taking deep breaths in the hallway and even rolling dice to practice his luck."

Su Mo opened his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Rolling the dice? Hopefully he can roll a 9 all day, otherwise this competition will be too boring."

Abu pushed open the door and clapped his hands: "Alright, guys, get ready! This is the last battle of the Summer Split, and also our battle to secure the number one seed for the World Championship. JDG is a very resilient team, and Coach Redmi's draft picks are also very tricky, so don't let your guard down."

"Don't worry, Coach." Jiejie twirled the drumstick in his hand. "We went 16-0 in the regular season and didn't lose a single game in the playoffs. If we lose with this momentum, I'll eat the keyboard right here and now."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Meiko rolled her eyes at him. "Get ready to go on stage."

……

"Welcome to the 2022 LPL Summer Split Finals!!!"

As host Ren Dong unleashed his signature roar, the stage lights exploded.

The commentary team today consists of Wawa, Miller, and special guest Uzi.

"Wow, the atmosphere today is amazing." Uzi looked at the sea of ​​people below the stage, a hint of envy in his eyes. "EDG has been truly legendary this season, especially Mozi. Whether as a player or... cough cough, as a singer, he's phenomenal."

Miller laughed and said, "That's right, but JDG isn't pushovers either. Coach Hongmi said before the match that he had found a way to break EDG's top lane strategy. Let's wait and see!"

BP starts.

In the first game, EDG was on the blue side, and JDG was on the red side.

JDG immediately banned Vayne, Fiora, and Rengar.

"It's the same old three heroes again," Wawa joked. "It seems Coach Hongmi is really afraid of Mozi's signature heroes. He doesn't dare to let any of these three heroes through."

EDG banned: Zeli, Sylas, and Poppy.

Selection stage.

EDG's first pick: Lucian.

Now that Zeli is gone, Viper must pick Lucian first to coordinate with Nami for pressure.

JDG countered by securing Sivir and Yuumi.

The classic "Yuumi-Siren" combo, focusing on late-game sustain and kiting, perfectly suits JDG's style.

Subsequently, both sides locked in their junglers and mid laners.

EDG: Jungler Vi, Mid Laner Ahri.

JDG: Jungler Wukong, Mid Laner Taliyah.

Then, JDG revealed that gun—the Captain, Gangplank!
"Captain!" Miller shouted, "369's signature champion! He's also a Tier 1 top laner in this patch! This champion has strong laning phase, has orange to remove crowd control, and deals explosive damage in the late game. This is a very confident pick; we're going head-to-head with Mozi!"

Su Mo looked at the captain, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"Captain... since he wants to play with the powder keg, then I'll let him experience the pressure of the deep sea."

Su Mo's voice rang out in the voice chat: "Lock up Titan."

When EDG finally locked in Nautilus, the entire arena erupted in shock.

Even Uzi in the commentary booth was stunned for a moment: "Titan top lane? This... is he going to be Viper's dog? A four-protect-one Lucian?"

Doll frowned: "But it's really tough playing against the Captain in the early game. The Captain can keep bombing you with barrels, and if you hook him, you can use an orange to break free from crowd control. Isn't it just pure tanking in lane?"

However, when the game loaded and everyone saw Su Mo's equipment and talents, their jaws dropped to the floor.

Talent: [Fatal Tempo].

Summoner Spells: Flash + Ignite.

Starting items: Doran's Ring + two Health Potions.

"Doran's Ring? Lethal Tempo? Ignite?!" Miller blinked. "This isn't a tanky Nautilus, it's an AP attack speed Nautilus?! Is Mozi serious?!"

in the game.

369 frowned when he saw Titan's starting outfit.

"AP Titan? You look down on me?" 369 was seething with anger. He was the kind of guy who was going to roll a 9, how could he be scared off by such an unconventional tactic?
Okay, he admits, the ID on the other end really made him feel insecure...

As the lines of troops converge.

Both sides then began their normal laning phase.

Both sides were quite cautious in the early stages, especially 369, who basically didn't fight, which made it impossible for Su Mo to do anything about him.

Until both sides reach level three.

369 tentatively approached, unleashing a Q attack on Titan.

Su Mo remained calm and activated his W shield!
This shield completely negated the damage from the captain's Q skill.

Immediately afterwards, Su Mo pushed forward through the minion wave.

Su Mo used Q to hook the captain's face and started with a basic attack!

"Boom!"

Titan's passive ability, "Overwhelming Force," causes the first basic attack to root the enemy and deal additional damage.

369 was stuck in place.

Su Mo's basic attack after activating W not only has AP scaling but also deals AOE damage.

369 quickly ate an orange to break free of the control effect, and then pulled backward.

However, it was immediately slowed down by Titan's E skill.

Su Mo chased after him.

A! A! A!

Deadly Rhythm is triggered. The Titan swings its massive anchor, its attack speed increasing rapidly, and the dull thud of its blows is terrifying.

AP Titan's basic attack damage in the early game is ridiculously high; a few hits and the captain's health drops by half!
"This damage is weird!" Uzi's eyes widened. "Does this Titan's auto-attack hurt this much after activating W? How did 369 get kicked out of the experience zone at level 1?"

With this wave over, Su Mo had gained control of the lane.

He began to control the line with a purpose.

However, thirty seconds later, the minions were pushed to the enemy tower. After all, Su Mo's E skill had hit the enemy minions, so he couldn't control them.

As the minion wave pushed towards the tower, 369 ducked under the tower, cautiously trying to last-hit a minion.

Su Mo seized the opportunity and used Q [Dredging the waterway] to make his move!
The massive anchor, like the tentacles of a deep-sea monster, precisely pierced through the gaps between the soldiers and hooked the captain beneath the tower!

369 reacted quickly, instantly eating an orange to break free of the control effect.

But Su Mo didn't intend to hook him out. He used his Q skill to close the distance and then E-flashed to the captain's face!
AWA, ignite and hang!
The turrets began attacking the Titan.

The captain, who still had 100 health points left, wanted to make a move, so he placed a barrel instead.

With astonishing reaction speed, Su Mo killed the barrel the instant it had only one bar of health left!
Grab the bucket!

369 was desperate.

Without the barrel's damage, the captain, stuck with Ignite and Deadly Tempo Titan, is like a drowning man.

"First Blood!"

Single kill!

After killing the captain, Su Mo emerged with a trace of blood.

"My God!" the doll exclaimed, "Is this Mozi's black technology? AP Titan! He just smashed 369 to death with a basic attack! Is that anchor filled with lead?!"

After securing the first kill, Su Mo immediately went home and crafted the [Explosive Magic Wand] and [Attack Speed ​​Short Sword].

This build is extremely aggressive.

After level six, the road becomes a complete horror movie.

Kanavi's monkeys wanted to catch them.

Su Mo remained calm and composed, first using Q to move away from the wall and create distance, then using R [Deep Sea Impact] to lock onto the monkey.

The monkey was knocked away.

At this moment, Jiejie's Vi arrived and took control. Su Mo turned around and unleashed an AQWEA combo.

That kind of unpredictable burst damage instantly melted the not-so-sturdy monkey.

"This isn't a tank, it's a heavily armored assassin!" Miller looked at the terrifying damage numbers on the screen and felt his scalp tingle.

Ten minutes into the game, the ecosystem on the top lane had completely collapsed.

After the monkeys fed a wave of attacks, the captain's development was significantly ahead of the Titan's.

Even more deadly is Tapie.

Su Mo's Titan, thanks to the Demolish rune, has already soloed three tower plates in the top lane.

JDG's top lane tower is on the verge of collapse, with only a thin layer of health remaining.

369's current situation is like that of a primary school student cornered by thugs.

The most frustrating thing is that every time he puts the bucket at his feet, he can't beat Titan.

A captain without a bucket is a toothless tiger.

"How is 369 supposed to play?" Uzi shook his head as he looked at the screen, his tone full of sympathy. "Normally, Gangplank should be able to easily beat Nautilus, but this AP attack speed build... the damage is too high, and the shield from W is too thick. 369 doesn't even dare to smell experience now. As soon as he takes a step forward, Nautilus will use a Q or a basic attack to root him down. That combo takes away half of his health."

In JDG's voice chat, 369 took a deep breath: "Kanavi, can you help me clear this wave? I really... want to go home, I don't want this tower anymore."

Kanavi glanced at the Titan in the top lane, who was radiating an ominous red aura, then looked at his own mediocre Wukong, and said bitterly, "I can't go. Vi is in the top side of the map. If I show myself, the bot lane will suffer too. You... try rolling a 9 again?"

Looking at the dice in his hand, 369 could only curse in his heart: This time I rolled a bunch of 1s!

……

Ten minutes later, the first Rift Herald spawned.

This is a crucial point that EDG, who have the advantage, must seize.

"EDG has made a move!" Miller stared at the minimap. "Jiejie's Vi immediately initiated the Herald, and Viper and Meiko in the bot lane, having lane priority, are also moving towards this side. JDG doesn't want to give up; they don't want EDG to get the Herald so early and start pushing down the first tower to gain momentum."

JDG's five players have assembled.

Despite being at a huge disadvantage in the top lane, they relied on Sivir and Yuumi, hoping to use their long range to kite and see if they could steal the kill or poke and cripple a few EDG players.

The atmosphere along the river was tense and ready to fight.

Su Mo's Titan didn't immediately go for the Rift Herald. Instead, he crouched like an assassin in the bush above the river, even though JDG had a control ward in that bush.

He's just squatting there right in front of you, do you dare come closer?

"Watch out for Titan's location! Watch out for hooks!" Yagao's Taliyah spread out a stone trap at the river mouth, attempting to block the way.

The Vanguard has 2,000 HP remaining.

JDG is getting a little anxious.

Kanavi's Wukong activated his W to become invisible, attempting to engage and fight with Smite.

The moment the monkey appeared!

“Now.” Su Mo’s eyes narrowed.

No hook was released.

Because the distance is too close.

Su Mo pressed the R key directly—[Deep Sea Impact]!
A shockwave from the abyss locked onto the monkey, knocking away the Taliyah in its path and finally hurling Kanavi into the sky!

Almost simultaneously, Jiejie's Vi understood perfectly, charging up her Q skill with a punch and then knocking the enemy airborne!

"The control chain is connected!" the child shouted. "The monkey can't move at all!"

Su Mo activated W, followed by an A-flash!
He didn't need a hook at all; he walked directly to the monkey's face before it had even had a chance to dodge.

A!

Titan is passively imprisoned!

At this point, Su Mo had already crafted the smaller component of Nashor's Tooth, the Recurve Bow, which granted him extremely high attack speed.

A! E! A! Ignite!
The massive anchor slammed into the monkey, each blow accompanied by a dull thud and incomprehensible magical damage numbers.

Kanavi's health bar evaporated instantly, as if by magic!

"What kind of damage is that?!" Uzi exclaimed, jumping up from his chair in shock. "Even a monkey has the physique of a warrior, and he melted in two seconds?!"

Kanavi fell, without even being able to unleash his ultimate move.

When the remaining four JDG players saw their jungler die, they dared not engage in a team fight and could only retreat in panic.

Because of his position at the back, 369's captain didn't even dare to place a barrel, and could only watch with tears in his eyes as EDG took the Herald's Eye.

"Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!" Yagao shouted, "We can't fight this, this Titan's farm is way too overpowered!"

……

The nightmare didn't end after taking down the vanguard.

On the contrary, it's just the beginning.

Jiejie picked up the Herald's Eye, placed it in the top lane, and rammed the tower, taking down the first tower.

Then, he and Su Mo exchanged a glance.

"Wandering around the wilderness?" Su Mo chuckled in the voice chat, his tone as relaxed as if he were going for a walk in his own backyard.

"Let's go!" Jiejie immediately followed.

Thus, an extremely brutal scene unfolded in the canyon.

The red buff has spawned in JDG's top jungle.

After being resurrected, Kanavi cautiously tried to collect some red potions.

I had just reached the edge of the bushes.

A huge anchor flew out of the shadows!

"Snapped!"

Perfect hook!

Before Kanavi could even react, he was pulled over by the Titan's massive body.

Vi's Q skill is ready!
AWA!

"EDG Mo has killed JDG Kanavi!"

Kanavi stared at the gray screen, took his hands off the keyboard, and looked utterly dejected.

"Damn it... Is this my jungle or his jungle?"

This is not over yet.

After killing the jungler, the two of them went directly from the red buff area to the bush behind the top lane's second tower.

At this moment, 369's captain thought that Titan had gone home and was happily farming a wave of minions that were pushing into the second tower.

Sudden.

Vi flipped right over the wall of stone golems and used her ultimate to lock onto their heads!
369: "???"

"I'm on the second tower!"

Vi's ultimate ability landed, and 369 instantly countered it by eating an orange.

But the next second, Su Mo's Titan slowly walked out from behind the tower.

A QQ message came through.

369 ran out of oranges and quickly switched to Flash.

Then the next moment he saw Titan's R coming...

He could only watch in despair as he flew into the sky.

Two seconds later, the captain collapsed to the ground.

Su Mo tanked the tower twice, then casually pressed the dance button. The giant diver awkwardly spun around next to 369's corpse, and a golden "weak" emoticon lit up above its head.

"That's outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!" Miller exclaimed with a laugh. "This is like bandits invading a village! The Ueno duo has combined for one death and one free kill! Kanavi and 369, this Ueno-Janavi combination, have been completely destroyed!"

The audience below the stage was already in an uproar.

"Brother Mozi is awesome!!"

"This is AP Titan! I've completely failed!"

369: Can we surrender this game? I want to go home!

"This isn't a competition, it's a pro player playing against a bronze player!"

In the JDG rest room, Coach Hongmi's face darkened.

He anticipated that Su Mo might pick Fiora, Jayce, or even Vayne.

But to his utter surprise, this guy pulled out an AP Titan and managed to deliver such a crushing victory.

This completely unreasonable chain of damage and control directly destroyed JDG's jungle defense system.

The EDG team's voice chat was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. (End of Chapter)