LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

The drafting screen for the fourth game suddenly lit up amidst a deafening roar of cheers from the entire arena!

This time, RNG has the blue side, which has the priority to pick.

In EDG's rest room, Abu and Clearlove gathered behind Su Mo.

"RNG definitely won't ban top laners five times again," Abu said quickly. "They'll most likely pick the meta champions and play their best composition. Mozi, what do you want to play? Want me to pick Jayce or Gnar for you?"

Su Mo leaned back in his gaming chair, his eyes fixed on the screen, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table unconsciously, appearing somewhat nonchalant: "No rush, let's see how they choose first. If they don't target me, we'll pick the lineup that's most comfortable for us."

Meanwhile, in RNG's rest room, the atmosphere was solemn.

“Remember what we said,” Coach Tabe’s voice came clearly through the headset to each player, carrying an undeniable determination, “Ignore Mo! Just pretend he doesn’t exist! We’re the blue team, we have the initiative! Wei, Ming, bring out that engine system we’ve practiced the longest!”

"Understood!" The entire RNG team replied in unison, their eyes blazing with a do-or-die spirit.

BP begins!
RNG, on the blue side, banned Titan without hesitation.

"Ban Titan!" Miller immediately commented from the commentary booth, "RNG doesn't want Meiko to get this strongest engage support, this is a signal to free up Ming!"

EDG's first pick was to ban Hecarim, still targeting Wei's rhythm.

RNG banned Orianna as their second pick.

"Scout's Orianna has been banned again!" Wawa was a little surprised. "It seems that RNG wants to open up the game in the mid lane and doesn't want Scout to get such a stable champion."

EDG's second pick was to ban Galio, which also aimed to disrupt RNG's potential mid-jungle synergy.

RNG banned Kai'Sa as their third pick!

"It's Viper's Kai'Sa!" Miller exclaimed. "I get it! RNG's strategy has changed! They're no longer targeting Mo in the top lane, but are starting to completely limit EDG's champion pool in other positions! They're trying to force EDG into a regular matchup!"

On the EDG side, Abu and Clearlove exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.

“They have indeed changed,” the factory manager said in a deep voice. “They’re going to compete with us in terms of raw power.”

EDG's third ban was for Xayah.

After the first round of bans, RNG, on the blue side, made their first pick!
It locked almost instantly!
"Rail!" Miller shouted, "It's Ming's Rui! RNG has indeed brought out their most confident jungle-support engage composition! They're going to bring the game's tempo back to where they know best!"

EDG's choice of primary or secondary options was equally swift.

The ADC position was locked in with Aphelios, while the support position was secured with Thresh.

"Aphelios and Thresh!" Wawa analyzed. "EDG has picked a bot lane duo with very strong self-protection and counter-attack capabilities! Meiko's Thresh is specifically to counter Riel's aggressive engages!"

It's RNG's turn to choose between the second and third picks.

For the jungle role, they locked in Udyr, a popular pick in the current patch. For the mid lane, they chose Twisted Fate!
"Udyr plus Twisted Fate!" Miller's voice suddenly rose. "Global strategy! RNG's tempo engine has been activated! With Twisted Fate's ultimate combined with Udyr's movement speed, they can create a numerical advantage in any corner of the map at any time! This is one of RNG's most classic tactics!"

RNG fans at the scene erupted in cheers.

This lineup is the winning formula they are most familiar with!
The pressure instantly fell on EDG.

In the second round of bans, EDG specifically banned Renekton and Ornn.

RNG banned Jiejie's Volibear and Olaf, preventing him from playing strong early-game jungle carries.

The final selection phase.

EDG locked in Viktor for mid lane and Lillia for jungle on the third and fourth floors.

"Viktor and Lillia!" Miller nodded. "Excellent choices! Viktor can ensure mid-lane control isn't suppressed by Twisted Fate, and his late-game damage is devastating. Lillia's multiple speed boosts and sleep abilities are powerful tools for pulling back RNG's aggressive, dive-heavy teams!"

RNG locked in Jinx, the ADC, on the fourth floor!
"Jinx! Gala has picked his most confident champion! A late-game carry with unparalleled finishing power!"

Now, all eyes are once again focused on EDG's fifth pick, on Su Mo's champion selection screen.

RNG has revealed their counter pick for top lane. What will they choose to counter RNG's global strategy?

"Brother Mozi, what do you want to play?" Abu asked. "The enemy team has a global playstyle, so we might need a top laner who can provide support or withstand pressure. Kennen? Gangplank?"

Su Mo looked at the four heroes already confirmed on the other side, and a playful smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

"Support? Why should we provide support?" He chuckled. "Don't they like to fly? Then I'll choose a hero who will make them fly down and never be able to leave again."

After saying that, he marked a hero's portrait on the screen.

When they saw that profile picture, everyone in the EDG lounge, including Abu and Clearlove, was stunned.

"Is...is this for real?" Jiejie stammered.

Su Mo did not answer, but said in the team voice chat in an unquestionable tone: "Lock."

Finally, under the watchful eyes of everyone, EDG's fifth floor, a hero that baffled the entire audience, commentators, and even their opponents, was locked on!
The evil little wizard, Veigar!

"Veja...Veja?!" Miller's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in the commentary booth. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "It's Veigar, the top laner!!! My God! In the match point game of the Spring Split Finals! Mo has picked out...a top lane champion that we've almost never seen in professional matches!"

"Is this some kind of scientific research?!" Wawa was completely dumbfounded. "Using Veigar in the top lane? How is that even possible in lane? And RNG's last pick is a counter pick; they can choose any champion to counter this Veigar!"

After a brief moment of deathly silence, the audience erupted in chaos!

"??????"

"I'm not seeing things, am I? Veigar top lane?"

"Mozi is up to his old tricks again! Is he trying to play RNG like a bot?"

RNG's matchday squad.

When they saw the little dwarf on the other side carrying a staff and walking with a swaying gait, the entire RNG team fell into a long silence.

Xiaohu's lips twitched; he felt his intelligence had been insulted.

Coach Tabe was so angry he almost snapped the tactical board in two: "What...what does he mean by this? Does he look down on us?!"

"Calm down, Coach!" Captain Ming took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "The more he acts like this, the less we can afford to panic! He must have his reasons for picking Veigar. Xiaohu, what do you want to use against him? Jayce? Lucian?"

Xiaohu looked at the little mage with a complex expression, and finally, he gritted his teeth and made a decision.

“No, I’m not picking a ranged champion.” His voice was unusually calm. “He’s picking AP, so I’ll pick a champion that can keep him going from start to finish. Give me… Yone!”

"Yongen?!"

This choice once again surprised everyone.

RNG's last pick was Yone, the Demonbane Sword Soul!

"Yone vs. Veigar!" Miller was at a loss for words as he commented. "One is an unstoppable AP carry in the late game, and the other is a fighter with terrifying burst damage and engage potential in the mid-game! This top lane matchup has been incredibly dramatic, starting from the draft phase!"

The final lineups for both sides have been determined.

RNG (Blue Side):

Top lane (Xiaohu): Yone
Jungler (Wei): Udyr

Mid lane (Cryin): Twisted Fate
ADC (Gala): Jinx; Support (Ming): Riel
Red team EDG:

Top Lane (Mo): Veigar
Jungler (Jiejie): Lillia

Mid laner (Scout): Viktor

ADC (Viper): Aphelios
Support (Meiko): Thresh
Upon entering the game, Su Mo's mage had the Unsealed Secret Manual as his talent, and his summoner spells were Flash and Teleport.

At level one, he learned the Q skill, [Dark Priest].

Facing Yone, who also learned Q at level one, Su Mo played extremely cautiously.

He completely gave up lane control, standing behind his own ranged minions and using the maximum range of his Q skill to last-hit minions while occasionally nipping at Yone.

“We can see that Mo’s Veigar played very steadily,” Miller analyzed. “He was well aware of how vulnerable he was in the early game and didn’t give Yone any chance to get close. His goal was clear: to farm and use his Q skill to stack AP infinitely.”

Xiaohu's Yone certainly wouldn't let him have it so easy. He used his minion advantage to keep pushing forward, trying to find an opportunity.

However, Su Mo's control over distance had reached a level of perfection.

Every time Xiaohu's Yone tries to use his three-stage Q to dash in, Su Mo will retreat a step in advance, causing him to miss.

Three minutes have passed, and both sides have reached level three.

Xiaohu seized the opportunity when Su Mo went forward to finish off the cannon minion, and used his accumulated three-stage Q [Sky Slash] to dash forward, while simultaneously activating his E skill [Barrier Breaker]!
"Xiaohu has made his move!" Wawa's speech quickened instantly. "He's used his E to engage! Veigar has no mobility, this combo will deal massive damage!"

However, just as Yone's spirit separated and rushed towards the little mage, Su Mo pressed the E key!
[Distorted Space]!
A huge, purple-glowing cage, precisely predicting the landing point of Yone's E skill, descended from the sky!

"Ding!"

With a crisp sound, Yone's spirit slammed into the edge of the distorted space and was instantly stunned!

"What a brilliant E skill prediction!" Miller exclaimed. "It's like Mo knew Xiaohu would use his E skill from this angle! That control was crucial!"

Without hesitation, Su Mo used a QA skill to hit the stunned Yone, and then immediately retreated, perfectly creating distance.

When Yone's spirit was forcibly pulled back, he not only failed to reduce Veigar's health, but also suffered a free combo and lost two minions.

In this battle of wits, Su Mo emerged victorious!
The top lane was a back-and-forth battle, but RNG's rhythm core, Twisted Fate, started to exert his power after reaching level six.

At 6:30, Cryin's Twisted Fate activated his ultimate, Fate, and flew directly to the bottom lane! Together with Udyr, who was already lying in wait, they created a four-man gank on the bottom lane!

Despite their best efforts, Viper and Meiko were ultimately killed by RNG's aggressive tower dive. Jinx secured two kills.

"RNG's global strategy is starting to take effect!" Wawa shouted. "Twisted Fate's first ultimate has paid off! Gala's Jinx is taking off!"

However, just as the entire RNG team was celebrating this successful gank, another kill notification came from the top lane!

EDG.Mo (Veja) killed RNG.Xiaohu (Yone)

"A solo kill?!" Miller's perspective immediately switched back to the top lane. "What happened?! Just as Twisted Fate landed, Mo's Veigar solo killed Xiaohu's Yone!"

The director immediately provided a replay.

It turned out that the moment the card was activated, Su Mo's little mage also leveled up to level six.

He capitalized on Xiaohu's eagerness to push the minion wave to the tower and then return to base to replenish supplies, and proactively engaged in a trade of blows.

When Xiaohu countered with a three-stage Q dash, Su Mo used another god-level E skill to trap Yone in place!

Immediately afterwards, the WQA skills followed up with damage, and finally, the ultimate skill [Energy Burst], a huge ball of magical energy, slammed precisely into Yone's head!
A combo move, executed with fluid grace and precise damage calculation!

Xiaohu's Yone didn't even have time to use Flash before he collapsed to the ground!

RNG's team voice chat was completely silent.

“My…” Xiaohu’s voice was a little hoarse, “I didn’t expect his damage to be so high… I was careless.”

"It's not your fault," Ming immediately comforted her. "We got two kills in the bottom lane, so we traded one kill for you. It's not a bad deal!"

That being said, everyone knows that this solo kill was a heavy blow to RNG's morale.

Even more terrifying is that after getting the kill, Su Mo's little mage went straight home and pulled out a "Lost Chapter" and a pair of magic penetration shoes.

His development is now unstoppable.

In the next few minutes, the game entered RNG's favorite "global style" rhythm.

Cards and Udyr kept looking for opportunities, trying to open up the game on the flanks.

However, EDG's response was unusually calm and mature.

Meiko's Thresh practically lived in the jungle, working with Jiejie's Lillia to create an impenetrable defensive vision.

Scout's Viktor was also as steady as a rock. No matter how Twisted Fate roamed, he stayed firmly in the mid lane and continued to farm.

RNG's several ganks were all anticipated by EDG and ended in failure.

Su Mo, who plays in the top lane, has become RNG's biggest headache.

His mage's lane dominance underwent a qualitative change after completing his first major item, "Eternal Frost."

Now, it was Xiaohu's turn for Yongen to be too afraid to breathe in front of him.

If Yone gets caught in Su Mo's E skill, followed by Eternal Frost's control, and then combined with W and Q, he will lose at least half his health.

Fifteen minutes later, the second dragon spawned.

RNG's five players gathered, intending to use Jinx's early-game item advantage to force EDG into a team fight.

Su Mo, however, still had no intention of joining the group.

"You four hold them back, don't get caught out," Su Mo instructed over the voice chat. "I'll lead them through the top lane."

The discussion was intense in RNG's team voice chat.

"What should we do? Should we deal with that little Fa?" Wei asked.

"Ignore him!" Ming gritted his teeth. "He doesn't have Teleport! We'll engage head-on. If we can kill Aphelios instantly, we'll win! This is our only chance!"

Ming's Riel found a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and used Flash and W to forcefully engage Lillia, who was positioned in the front!

RNG's five players swarmed in, and Gala's Jinx activated her Q skill to unleash a barrage of attacks!
However, just as RNG focused their fire on Lillia, Meiko's Thresh unleashed his "death sentence" that would go down in history!
A Q skill with extreme range pierced through the chaotic battlefield and precisely hooked Jinx, who was standing in the back row dealing damage!

"Got it!" Miller roared hoarsely, "Meiko hooked Gala! EDG has a chance to counterattack!"

Viper's Aphelios didn't hesitate at all, flashing forward, switching to Shadow Blade, and using his ultimate followed by his Q to freeze Jinx in place!
Scout's Viktor also unleashed his pre-prepared W and R!

Chaotic storm and gravity field instantly turned RNG's backline upside down!
Gala's Jinx was instantly killed by EDG's focused fire the moment she was controlled!

Without their core damage dealers, RNG suffered a crushing defeat! (End of Chapter)