LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

"Flash to dodge a close-range attack!! That's insane!!" Miller exclaimed, clutching his head.

The instant he landed with Flash, his ultimate skill, Shadow Impact, crashed down!
The fear effect instantly overwhelmed the Tsar and Aphelios!

With the buffs of Divine Strike and Death's Dance, Centaur's damage output was terrifying. Rookie's Azir didn't even have time to use Stopwatch before being instantly vaporized!

"EDG.Mo has killed TES.Rookie!"

Although Ah Shui, who lost his mid laner, tried to escape by using his Gale Force, he could only helplessly succumb to the extremely agile Hecarim.

"Double Kill!"

28 minutes and 50 seconds.

The team fight around Baron Nashor ended in a brutal fashion. Although EDG lost their mid and jungle, SuMo's Hecarim, like a god of war, shredded TES's backline, achieving a two-for-four exchange!

The only remaining Meiko Titan could only flee back to the highlands in a sorry state.

"The Baron buff is on Hecarim and Varus! EDG has hit a huge profit this time!!" Guan Zeyuan loudly analyzed, "Although they didn't manage a one-shot kill, TES simply can't stop this Baron buff push!"

Twenty-nine and a half minutes.

With the minions empowered by the Baron buff, Su Mo led the three surviving members of EDG to aggressively push down TES's top and mid lane inhibitors.

Super minions flooded into TES's base like a tidal wave.

Thirty minutes.

EDG played extremely cautiously, returning to base to replenish their supplies and securing the Earth Dragon Soul.

At this point, the economic gap between the two sides had widened to 10,000 yuan.

Su Mo's men crafted their fourth piece of equipment—Bloodthirster.

This item not only provides an extremely high margin for error, but also, when combined with Randuin's Omen and Death's Dance, makes Centaur Warrunner a truly unkillable assault vehicle.

Thirty-one minutes.

EDG's five players gathered together, leading three lanes of super minions, and launched their final all-out attack.

TES's five players retreated to the base of the turret, putting up a last-ditch effort.

"We have no way out, we can only launch a miracle team fight!" Rookie's voice was hoarse in the voice chat.

Thirty-one minutes and twenty seconds.

The moment EDG's minion wave pushed into the inhibitor turret.

Xiaotian's prince made an extremely decisive flash EQ combo, aiming directly at Varus in the back row!
369's Stone Golem followed closely behind, unleashing its ultimate ability, Unstoppable Force, and crashing tragically into the crowd!

This is TES's final charge!

However, against EDG, who had a 10,000 gold lead and were equipped with the Earth Dragon Soul and Baron buff, this aggressive approach seemed weak and ineffective.

Su Mo's Hecarim didn't even use his ultimate; he simply activated his W and E skills, standing at the forefront and single-handedly withstanding all of TES's burst damage. Bloodthirster's shield was incredibly thick, and combined with Death's Dance's bleed damage reduction, Hecarim's health never even dropped below half!
"I can't hurt it!! I can't hurt this monster at all!!" the doll cried out in despair.

After withstanding the initial burst of damage, EDG launched an extremely brutal counterattack.

Orianna's ultimate and Varus's Chains of Corruption wreaked havoc in TES's formation.

Su Mo wielded his battle axe, ruthlessly clearing the battlefield with each strike.

"EDG.Mo has killed TES.Tian!"

"EDG.Mo has killed TES.369!"

……

"Ace wiped out!!!"

Thirty-two minutes exactly.

Accompanied by an extremely cold female system voice, all five members of TES collapsed in front of their own fountain.

Without any defensive force, the two turrets were reduced to ruins by the push of the super minions.

Su Mo's men calmly shattered the blue crystal nexus.

boom!
The image freezes, and the word "Victory" appears dazzlingly in the center of the screen.

Thirty-two minutes and ten seconds.

"Congratulations to EDG for winning the first game of the Summer Split Finals!!"

As Miller roared at the top of his lungs, a deafening cheer erupted in the Shanghai Arena. Countless red flags bearing the EDG logo waved wildly in the stands, and the deafening shouts of "EDG" seemed to lift the dome of the stadium.

In the commentary booth, the three commentators were still immersed in the breathtaking battle they had just witnessed, their faces flushed.

"The quality of this match was too high! This is definitely a World Championship match of historical significance in the LPL!" Wawa wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice a little hoarse. "TES' resilience and tactical execution in this match can be described as unparalleled! From the early resource exchange to seizing opportunities to force an engagement in the mid-game, and then to buying back and defending the high ground in desperate situations, they really did everything they could to the extreme!"

Guan Zeyuan nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with shock: "Yes! But even so, they still couldn't overcome that mountain. Mozi's Hecarim completely overturned our understanding of top lane. From the detailed pressure resistance in the early game to the terrifying team fight maneuvering in the mid and late game, especially that flash to dodge the Malphite's ultimate and instantly kill Azir, it was simply divine intervention!"

“Right now, I’m thinking, if I were Coach Homme, how would I draft the next game?” Zz1tai stroked his chin with a wry smile. “If you ban a top lane fighter, he can pick a jungler like Hecarim to carry; if you pick a strong engage composition, he can single-handedly shred your backline. It’s really frustrating.”

The chat in the official live stream was scrolling like an avalanche:
That was amazing! This is the kind of intensity the finals should have!

TES tried their best, but the opposing team had a godlike player.

[Flash to dodge Malphite's ultimate? That reaction speed was amazing, even my grandma said it was incredible!]

[Mozi's team is treating Xiaotian and 369 like footballs.]

[Will TES ban even the jungler champion in the next game?]

The lights came back on in the stadium.

Su Mo removed his noise-canceling headphones and calmly picked up the black thermos on the table. He didn't look at Ah Chen and Xiao Yue, who were excitedly high-fiving after their victory. He simply unscrewed the lid and took a sip of warm water. It was as if the thrilling thirty-two-minute battle just now was just an ordinary training match.

"Brother Mo, your Flash to dodge the ultimate was amazing! I was watching from the side and I thought you were going to get hit and killed!" Ah Chen excitedly came over, his face glistening with sweat under the light.

"Basic stuff, don't be silly." Su Mo uttered four words calmly, stuffing the thermos into his peripheral bag. "Let's go back and review the game."

The EDG team members followed Su Mo, walking easily backstage.

Inside the TES soundproof tent, however, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed like water could be squeezed out of it.

369 stared intently at the glaring word "Failure" on the screen, his hands gripping his hair in frustration. He had picked Malphite, the ultimate "troll" champion, hoping to shine in team fights, but he was completely outplayed by a Centaur Warrunner.

Xiaotian leaned back in his gaming chair, his eyes vacant. That time, when he, as the Prince, flanked and initiated a team fight, if Hecarim hadn't flashed to dodge his ultimate and counter-attack, the outcome might have been completely different.

"Don't sigh, we played very well." Rookie, as the team's senior member, was the first to break the silence. He stood up and patted Tian and 369 on the shoulder, "That top laner on the other side is a monster, we can't judge him by normal standards. Go back and listen to the coach's instructions, we still have a chance in the next game."

The TES team members silently packed up their peripherals and walked heavily towards the rest room.

The EDG lounge, separated by only a wall, was filled with laughter and joy.

Abu grinned from ear to ear, handing towels and water to each player who came in: "Well played! Our maneuvering and kiting when we were at a disadvantage was perfect in this game!"

Mingkai appeared much calmer. He took his tactical board and walked over to Su Mo, who was resting with his eyes closed on the sofa.

"Mozi, your sudden move was so unexpected, it even startled me," Mingkai said with a smile. "But it was really effective. TES's aggressive engage composition was completely disrupted by you alone."

Su Mo didn't open his eyes, but said calmly, "They rely too much on ultimate combos. Once the front-line control chain breaks down, the back-line becomes an easy target." "They're on the red side in the next game, and they have a counter pick." Ming Kai's expression turned serious. "They'll definitely change their draft strategy, and they'll likely implement more extreme bans on your hero pool."

"Let them be." Su Mo picked up his thermos and took a sip, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "As long as the minion waves are still intersecting, the outcome won't change."

On the other side, in TES's lounge.

The air was so stuffy it was suffocating.

Coach Homme stood in front of the whiteboard, his marker scribbling messy lines on the tactics board. He looked at his players, who sat silently on the sofa, and sighed deeply.

"Look up!" Homme slammed his hand on the whiteboard. "It's just one game. It's not like we haven't lost before! We didn't play badly in the last game. We just didn't handle the details of a few key team fights well enough."

369 looked up, his voice a little hoarse: "Coach, his champion pool is too deep. We banned five top laners, and he still managed to pick Hecarim. How should we counter him next game?"

Homme gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

“Let’s not target him anymore.” Homme made an extremely bold decision. “We’re on the red side, we have a counter pick. Next game, we’ll maximize the laning intensity in the top lane! 369, don’t play defensively, get me a fighter who can fight and take risks!”

“But…” 369 hesitated.

"No buts!" Homme interrupted him. "We can't keep letting his champion pool lead us by the nose! We need to focus on the tempo of the mid, bot, and jungle. Tian, ​​next game I'll give you a jungler with a very aggressive early game, and completely destroy EDG's bottom half!"

The short break passed quickly.

As the referee knocked on the door, the announcement that the second game was about to begin rang out in the lounge.

"Let's go, brothers. Let's take back everything we lost last game!" Rookie stood up, his tone resolute.

"Charge!" the TES players shouted in unison, their eyes burning with renewed fighting spirit.

At the same time, the EDG team members, led by Su Mo, walked steadily toward the stage.

When both players reappeared on stage, the cheers from the audience were even more enthusiastic than in the first game.

"Welcome back! The second game of the 2024 LPL Summer Split Finals is about to begin!" Wawa's excited voice resounded throughout the stadium.

"In this match, TES is on the red side and has the last counter pick; while EDG is on the blue side and has the right to pick the first hero. Let's take a look at the draft strategy between the two sides!" Miller stared intently at the big screen.

BP interface loading.

Blue side EDG, red side TES.

EDG's first three bans were still very formulaic: Lucian, Azir, and Sejuani.

Knowing the power of Rookie's Tsar, Mingkai didn't hesitate to ban him outright.

On the other hand, TES's first three bans surprised the entire audience.

"TES banned... Lee Sin?!" Guan Zeyuan's eyes widened. "They didn't ban a top laner!"

"Second pick, [Clockwork] was banned! Third pick, [Tree] was banned!" Doll exclaimed in surprise.

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

"TES has changed their strategy!!" Miller exclaimed, "They've abandoned blocking Mozi's champion pool and are now targeting EDG's mid-jungle synergy! Their very solid teamfight composition with Orianna and Maokai has been completely shut down!"

As he sat in the commentary booth, Zita stroked his chin, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes: "Interesting! Is TES preparing to go head-to-head with Mozi in the top lane? Let's reserve the counter pick for 369 and give him a real man's battle!"

Entering the first round of the Pick phase.

EDG, on the first floor, will seize control first.

Mingkai glanced at the opposing team's bans and smiled slightly: "Since they've put up so many good stuff, then we won't hold back. Chen, take Vi."

EDG decisively locked in Vi on the first floor!
"Vi! The jungler EDG played incredibly well with his lock-on jungle in the last game!"

The pressure is now on TES.

Coach Homme sneered: "Trying to force an engagement? We're going for an extreme early-game aggression this game! Tian, ​​bring out your signature moves!"

The TES logos on the first and second floors lit up instantly.

[Zhao Xin, the Grand Marshal of Demacia]!
Syndra!
"Xin Zhao and Syndra!! TES's mid and jungle are absolutely explosive in the early game!!" Wawa exclaimed. "Tian's Xin Zhao is his signature move. He can dominate the jungle in the early game. With Syndra's burst damage, if EDG's mid and jungle don't handle this well, they'll have a very difficult time in the early game!"

EDG added a bot lane duo of Kai'Sa and Nautilus on the second and third floors.

On the third floor of TES, Ah Shui confidently locked in [Draven]!
"Draven!! Ah Shui has picked Draven!!" The entire arena erupted in cheers.

"TES has gone crazy this game! Xin Zhao, Syndra, and Draven—these are all champions who can dominate in the early game! They're going to completely crush EDG in the first twenty minutes!" Guan Zeyuan gasped.

The second round of bans.

EDG banned Thresh and Lena to counter TES's support champions.

In the fourth and fifth picks, TES banned Ahri and Sylas, continuing to target EDG's mid-lane champion pool.

Proceed to the second round of picking.

On the fourth floor of TES, Meiko locked up the Parker!
"Pyke supporting Draven! This is the ultimate bounty hunter combo!"

On the fourth floor of EDG, Xiaoyue, with only the mage carry remaining, bravely locked in [Taliyah].

All the suspense has once again converged on EDG's fifth-floor top laner and TES's fifth-floor red-side counter-laner!
"This game is getting interesting." Zz1tai stared at the screen. "TES' lineup is extremely aggressive, they're all about early game dominance. Now it's Mozi's turn to pick his hero first, and 369 is waiting in the counter position."

Mingkai stood behind Su Mo, watching the extremely intense match, his brows furrowed slightly: "Mozi, the opponent's pace is very fast this game, what are you going to pick? Do you need to withstand the pressure?"

Su Mo held the thermos and took a sip of water.

He looked at the aggressive hero icons on the other side.

"Resilience?"

Su Mo put down the cup and lightly glided her fingers across the keyboard.

"These two words don't exist in my dictionary."

A portrait of a heavily armored warrior wielding a giant sword and radiating an indomitable will suddenly lit up on the fifth floor of EDG.

"Even if the enemy outnumbers us, this humble general can still take the enemy general's head amidst a sea of ​​soldiers!"

[Garen, the Might of Demacia]?!

The audience was stunned for a moment, then burst into huge laughter.

"What's Mozi up to? Garen?"

But the next second, the profile picture changed instantly!

"Glory resides in the heart, not in outward appearance!"

【The Unforgiven - Yasuo】?!

"Holy crap! Top lane Yasuo?!"

Amidst the gasps of the entire audience, which were like a rollercoaster ride, the image finally settled on an extremely cold figure exuding an aura of death.

"The invisible blade is the most deadly!"

Zed, the Master of Shadows!
Locked!!! (End of Chapter)