LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

"Let's congratulate EDG! Despite falling behind, being targeted, and even losing countless opportunities to regain momentum, they secured the victory with Mozi's incredible wall-flash ultimate from Amumu! 2-0! EDG holds three match points!" Miller roared hoarsely.

The lights on the field suddenly came on.

In EDG's match booth, A-Chen took off his noise-canceling headphones, jumped up excitedly, and hugged Xiao-Yue next to him.

"Holy crap! Brother Mo! That wall-bump flash was absolutely amazing!" Ah Chen exclaimed excitedly, his face flushed. "When I saw you flash into the wall, my heart skipped a beat. I thought you pressed the wrong button, but then Orianna used her ultimate and pulled three JDG players right onto your face! What kind of god-like imagination is that!"

Xiao Yue was also panting heavily, his palms sweating profusely: "My hand was shaking when I pressed the ultimate move! Brother Mo, didn't you even give me a heads-up? If I hadn't reacted quickly, this teamwork would have failed!"

Faced with his teammates who were excitedly rambling on and on, Su Mo's expression remained as calm as a still pond.

He tidied up the keyboard and mouse cables, slowly unscrewed the black thermos on the table, and took a sip of warm goji berry water.

"Since you're my puppet, you should know where I'm going," Su Mo said calmly, standing up and holding the thermos in his hand. "Let's go back and rest."

That calm and domineering aura made Ah Chen and Xiao Yue pause for a moment, then they smiled at each other and quickly followed.

However, in the JDG battle zone, separated by just one wall, the atmosphere was like an ice cave.

369 slumped in his gaming chair, his eyes blankly staring at the glaring word "Defeat" on the screen. Two games—one where he was utterly crushed by Riven, the other where he was relentlessly humiliated under the turret by a bottom-tier Amumu—his resolve wasn't just broken, it was completely shattered.

Knight covered his face with his hands, rubbing his hair in anguish. In that final wave, he had clearly calculated all the safe distances, yet he was instantly melted by a completely illogical wall-pushing ultimate attack.

“How…how did he calculate that distance?” Kanavi muttered to himself in broken Chinese, his eyes filled with fear. Facing this man, he felt that all his counterattacks and calculations were as if they were transparent.

Halftime break room.

The moment Su Mo pushed open the door, enthusiastic applause erupted in the lounge.

Abu's eyes welled up with tears: "That was amazing! So beautiful! That Amumu top lane play is definitely going to be recorded in LPL history! I was stunned by that last team fight!"

Mingkai stepped forward and patted Su Mo's shoulder forcefully: "You're too daring, kid. Flashing into a wall and then using Orianna's ultimate to pull someone in—even a 0.1-second difference in the judgment of that maneuver would have been utterly disastrous."

“There is no such thing as utter destruction.” Su Mo walked to his private single sofa and sat down. “There is only a 100% kill rate.”

"Brother Mozi! You're so handsome!"

A clear and charming voice came from the inner room of the lounge.

Luo Xin had no interview assignments today, so she dragged Rita and Xiaoyu along and somehow managed to sneak into EDG's VIP lounge.

Rita was wearing an extremely sexy burgundy halter dress today. As soon as they met, she walked over to Su Mo naturally and took the thermos from his hand.

Yu, dressed in an elegant cheongsam, smiled and brought over a plate of freshly sliced ​​chilled watermelon and several cups of warm flower tea, placing them on the coffee table.

"Are you tired? Drink some water to soothe your throat. The next game is match point." Yu Shuang gently took out a wet wipe with a faint fragrance and naturally wiped Su Mo's forehead, which was not actually sweating.

Su Mo leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to enjoy the tranquility.

Seeing Su Mo looking like a great demon king resting with his eyes closed, Luo Xin, who was usually quite mischievous at home, suddenly came over with a glint in her eye.

"Brother Mozi, you're incredibly cunning in the game, your brain is practically a supercomputer. But I don't believe you're that invincible in real life!" Luo Xin put her hands on her hips and gave a coquettish snort. "I'll test your wits with a riddle, dare to take it?"

Ah Chen and Xiao Yue were eating watermelon when they heard this and immediately came over to see what was going on.

Su Mo slightly opened one eye, looking at Luo Xin's provocative little expression, and a very faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Ask."

"Listen carefully!" Luo Xin cleared her throat. "There was a pig that ran towards the North Pole. What did it turn into after it reached the North Pole?"

Xiaoyu chuckled to herself, while Ah Chen scratched his head: "Turns into an Arctic pig?"

"Wrong!" Luo Xin raised her chin triumphantly.

Su Mo didn't even fully open his eyes, and calmly uttered three words: "Frozen pork."

Luo Xin's smile froze instantly: "You... how did you know? Then let's do another one! What gets dirtier the more you wash it?"

"water."

"Who only works one day a year?"

"Santa Claus."

Luo Xin asked three questions in a row, and Su Mo not only answered instantly, but also did not pause to think, his tone as calm as if he were reading a boring financial statement.

"Ugh! This isn't fun! You must have secretly memorized the whole riddle book!" Luo Xin stomped her feet in anger, causing everyone in the lounge to burst into laughter.

Seeing this, Rita's eyes sparkled, and she giggled as she leaned close to Su Mo's ear, her red lips slightly parted, her breath sweet as orchids: "Xin Xin's stuff is too childish. Brother Mo, let me ask you something. A door made of wood is called a wooden door, a door made of iron is called an iron door, so what's a door made of happiness called...?"

The moment this question was posed, the air in the lounge instantly filled with a pink, ambiguous atmosphere.

Xiaoyu and Yu Shuang both smiled as they looked at Su Mo, anticipating what romantic answer this cold e-sports tycoon would give.

Su Mo picked up the flower tea that Yu Shuang handed him, blew on it to cool it down, and replied with an extremely serious expression, "It's a physical separation between dopamine and endorphins in a tangible space. But such a material doesn't exist in reality, so your hypothesis is invalid."

"..."

The lounge was silent for two seconds, then erupted in laughter loud enough to lift the roof off.

"Hahahaha! What the hell is this physical barrier!" Ah Chen laughed so hard that he dropped a watermelon on the ground.

Rita's face instantly turned bright red, and she angrily punched Su Mo's chest lightly: "Wrong! It's 'we'! You clueless straight man!"

Su Mo calmly took a sip of tea: "Forced puns, illogical. If you used this kind of logic to predict your opponent on the field, you would have been solo-killed ten times already."

"You're so annoying!" Rita gave him a playful glare, but her body betrayed her by leaning against his broad shoulder, her eyes filled with an irresistible sweetness.

The VIP lounge was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, the atmosphere so relaxed that it felt less like a playoff semifinal and more like a family gathering on a sunny afternoon.

In stark contrast is the JDG lounge at the end of the corridor.

Dead silence.

A suffocating silence.

The five starting players sat on their chairs with their heads down, the air so heavy it felt like you could wring water out of it.

Coach Homme stood in front of the tactics board, the marker in his hand making a cracking sound.

"Look up!" Homme slammed his hand on the tactical board. "We've done miracles before, coming back from 0-2 to 3-2! That Amumu on the other side is just a tactic; we'll ban it next game and not give him a chance to use that kind of unconventional strategy!"

369 looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

“Coach… he can’t ban them all.” 369’s voice trembled slightly. “He doesn’t need any counter picks. Even if he picks a super minion, he can predict all our movements. In his eyes… we have no secrets at all.”

Knight bit his lip tightly, remaining silent, but his trembling fingers betrayed his inner collapse.

"The third game is about to begin. Players from both sides, please prepare to come to the stage." The referee's knock on the door was like a death knell, breaking the deathly silence in the JDG rest room.

Meanwhile, on EDG's side, Su Mo stood up and tightened the lid of his thermos.

Yu Shuang gently straightened his team uniform collar and said softly, "Go on, get off work early, and I'll make you some pork rib soup when you get home tonight."

A gentle smile flashed in Su Mo's eyes as he reached out and gently pinched her fingertips.

"Okay. I'll leave work at 2 PM, no overtime."

Accompanied by the rousing and urgent battle anthem, the screen switched to the draft and banning (BP) interface of the third game.

At this point, the score was 2-0, and EDG held three match points, pushing JDG to the brink of elimination.

According to the rules, the losing team has the right to choose sides. JDG didn't hesitate at all and decisively chose the blue side to gain absolute initiative in picking the first hero. EDG, on the other hand, went to the red side, holding the crucial fifth-floor counter pick.

"Welcome back to the match! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the decisive third game!" Wawa's voice was hoarse with excitement. "JDG has moved to the blue side, and this is their last chance to fight with their backs against the wall!"

Miller stared intently at the screen: "Yes! Let's look at the first three bans. JDG's first ban... My God!"

Under the director's camera, a small green mummy head appeared prominently on JDG's first-floor ban position.

Ban: [Amumu, the Mummy of Sorrow]!
After this ban, the entire Hongqiao Performing Arts Center was silent for a second before erupting into a burst of laughter.

The commentator, Zz1tai, burst out laughing so hard he collapsed onto the table, pounding it with his fist: "Hahahaha! Amumu is banned!! Guys, in the 2024 LPL Summer Split semifinals, JDG banned Amumu as their first pick!! This is absolutely a world-famous moment in the history of League of Legends esports!"

The live stream chat was instantly flooded with a dense barrage of "hahaha" and various sarcastic remarks.

[They couldn't hold back any longer! The mighty JDG, a team known for its super team, was forced out of the ban list by a Bronze-level hero!]

[369: Coach, please, don't let me see that bandaged guy again, I'm scared.]

[Mozi's charisma has transformed a bottom-tier hero into a top-tier strategic nuclear weapon!]

[JDG's ban on this champion demonstrates that their moral compass has been completely shattered.]

In JDG's match zone, Coach Homme's face was ashen, and his hand holding the tactical board was trembling slightly. He knew, of course, how humiliating it was to ban Amumu; it was not only a desecration of the current version but also an admission to the world of their complete failure in tactical reserves.

But he had no choice. He had just looked into 369's eyes, which were filled with fear and despair, in the lounge. He knew that if 369 were to face this disgusting black technology again in this game, 369's mentality would collapse on the spot.

"Never mind what others think, we only care about winning!" Homme shouted through gritted teeth in the voice chat, "Second pick, ban Fiora! Third pick, ban Maokai! Chen's Maokai is too annoying for map control this game, we can't give him that!"

JDG's first three bans are confirmed: Amumu, Fiora, and Maokai.

EDG's response, on the other hand, appeared extremely relaxed and formulaic.

Mingkai stood behind his teammates, arms crossed, a confident smile on his face: "Standard bans, shut down their Ahri, Sejuani, and Kai'Sa."

EDG's first three bans: Ahri, Sejuani, and Kai'Sa.

Entering the first round of the Pick phase.

"What are JDG grabbing on the first floor? Kai'Sa is gone, and Vi and Lee Sin are outside!" Wawa stared intently at the screen.

The profile picture frames on the first floor of JDG were flashing wildly, eventually locking onto a nimble figure wielding dual pistols.

"You think you're qualified to judge me?"

[Lucian, the Purifier]! Locked on!

"Lucian! JDG has picked Lucian on the first floor!" Miller analyzed. "This is a champion Ruler is very confident in, and it shows that JDG is going to exert extremely strong lane control in the bottom lane this game!"

At the EDG match, Mingkai adjusted his glasses and said, "Take Xayah and Rakan, don't give them Luna or any comfortable lane combination, just steal the strongest bot lane duo."

EDG's avatars on the first and second floors lit up instantly, without any hesitation.

[Niyu—Xia]!
【Phantom Feather - Luo】! Locked on!

"The Phoenix Legend duo!" Zz1tai stroked his chin. "EDG's first two picks were so easy. Xayah and Rakan are the perfect bot lane duo in the current meta, capable of both offense and defense. Plus, Leave and Vamp are extremely skilled with them."

The pressure is now on JDG.

Coach Homme frantically calculated the team composition in his mind. Since Lucian was picked for the bot lane, they needed to pair him with a champion who could play as a support, while the jungler needed to provide early-game tempo.

"Kanavi, pick your signature Wukong. Missing, pick Nami. We're going to unleash the strongest burst damage from the Luna composition!" Homme decisively ordered.

JDG's second and third picks are: [Sun Wukong, the Monkey King] and [Nami, the Tidecaller].

With this, JDG's jungler trio is confirmed.

On the third floor of EDG, Mingkai glanced at the opposing team's lineup and said to Xiaoyue, "The enemy has a Monkey King engaging. Should we pick a champion in the mid lane that can counter-push, like Azir?"

Xiao Yue shook his head, a confident glint in his eyes: "Coach, get me Annie. Since they're going to charge, I'll keep them pinned down."

"it is good!"

EDG's third-floor pick: [Annie, the Dark Child].

The first round of business matching (BP) has ended.

After a brief pause, the game entered a more brutal second round of banning players.

This time, it's EDG's turn to ban first.

"Suppress Knight's Syndra and Sylas. His ability to find opportunities is still too strong in these two games. Don't give him assassins and mage carries." Mingkai's thinking was extremely clear.

EDG's fourth and fifth bans: Syndra and Sylas.

As JDG made their last two bans, Coach Homme stared intently at EDG's fifth-floor red team, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He looked at Su Mo, who was resting with his eyes closed, seemingly detached from the situation, and a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

What should be banned?
Aatrox? Camille? Jax? Renekton?
Su Mo's hero pool is unfathomably deep. Even if all the regular warriors are banned, who knows what kind of monster he might pull out next?
"Coach, ban the long-range champions." 369 suddenly spoke up, his voice a little hoarse. "I want to play a pure tank this game, I'm afraid he'll torture me with Jayce or Kennen."

Homme sighed. He knew that 369 had completely given up on the idea of ​​gaining an advantage in the top lane and only wanted to develop safely and be a front-line punching bag in team fights.

"Okay, ban Jayce, ban Kennen."

JDG's fourth and fifth bans: Jayce and Kennen.

When these two extremely humble bans were announced, Miller in the commentary booth couldn't help but smile bitterly: "JDG has been traumatized by this. Banning warriors in the first two games and banning ranged heroes in this game, they are just praying that Mozi can pick a normal melee hero so that they can get through the laning phase safely."

Proceed to the second round of picking.

EDG needs to fill the jungler position on the fourth floor. (End of Chapter)