LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

After shaking hands with the TES players, the EDG team returned to the center of the stage, stood side by side, and bowed deeply to the audience in all directions.

"thanks for your support!"

The stadium was once again engulfed in thunderous cheers and applause, with countless fans waving their light sticks and giving their heroes the warmest cheers.

On the big screen, the MVP selection results for this game were also announced.

Without a doubt, the Swift Wind Swordsman, wielding a long sword and riding the wind, was frozen in the center of the screen with a near-perfect battle record.

[MVP - EDG.Mo!]

KDA: 8/0/5
Group tour participation rate: 77.8%
Damage percentage: 34.5%
A series of breathtaking statistics silently testify to the player's unparalleled dominance in the decisive game.

In the commentary booth, Miller looked at the data and exclaimed sincerely, "This is god! Zero deaths, the highest damage percentage in the entire game! He created an army of one in the top lane! I even think that this MVP award is meaningless, because it can't be anyone else but him!"

Wawa added, "TES did everything they could, banning five top laners and targeting them relentlessly. But the result proved that all the tactical arrangements seemed so pale in the face of absolute strength. You can never limit a player whose champion pool is unfathomable."

According to the procedure, the MVP player needs to be interviewed on site.

Yu Shuang, the leading female host of LPL, walked gracefully to Su Mo's side with a microphone in hand and a gentle smile.

"Congratulations again to EDG on winning the opening match." Yu Shuang's voice was sweet yet professional.

"Thank you." Su Mo took the microphone, waved at the camera, and elicited another round of screams from the audience.

"So the first question, which is also what all the viewers want to know," Yu Shuang's eyes sparkled with curiosity, "with TES using five bans to target you, why did you choose Yasuo, a champion with extremely high risk on the field, as your last pick?"

The question immediately silenced the entire room, and everyone pricked up their ears, eager to hear the answer from this "god".

Su Mo thought for a moment and said in his usual lazy tone, "Because they banned all the other heroes I wanted to play, and after looking around, it seemed like this hero was the best against Jayce, so I picked it."

This answer made Yu Shuang burst out laughing.

What does it mean to "have a relatively good chance of playing against Jayce"?
In professional matches, Yasuo is generally considered to be at a disadvantage against Jayce, but in his opinion, it's the optimal solution.

The live stream chat was instantly flooded with comments like "Versailles" and "Is this true?"

“Okay, so we saw that at three and a half minutes, you completed a very impressive 1v2 comeback in the top lane, completely establishing the advantage in the top lane. How did you make that decision and play? Was Karsa's gank something you expected?” Yu Shuang continued to ask.

“I expected it,” Su Mo’s answer was still simple and direct. “He would definitely come after he finished his buff. As for the operation… I just got lucky and blocked the key skills, and then killed them all. Basic operation.”

“Basic operation…” Yu Shuang repeated the word helplessly in her mind. She knew that she wouldn’t get any earth-shattering “journey of the heart” out of this man.

She decided to change the subject to something lighter: "We know that after MSI, the entire EDG team got a well-deserved break. We also saw Mozi's heroic act of bravery in the news. So, besides catching the fugitive, what did you mainly do to relax during this break?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo's expression became more serious. After a moment's thought, he gave an answer that surprised everyone:

"Farming."

"Farming...?" Yu Shuang's expression froze for a moment.

“Hmm,” Su Mo nodded, “Stardew Valley. I just upgraded my farm to the maximum level and am experiencing rural life. It’s quite relaxing.”

"puff--"

The audience at the scene and in the live broadcast room were stunned for half a second, and then burst into earth-shattering laughter.

[Hahahaha! I thought he'd say he was practicing his skills, but he's actually farming!]

Is this what a god is like? While others are on vacation ranking up, he's fishing and growing carrots in Stardew Valley!

[369: I practiced Jayce diligently for a month, while you were just farming, and then you logged in and slaughtered me like a carrot?]

[Case solved! Mo Shen's terrifying understanding of minion waves was actually gleaned from farming!]

[Suspected hidden advertisement!]

The interview session concluded in this joyful atmosphere.

When Su Mo stepped off the stage and returned to the backstage dressing room, he was greeted by his teammates who had been preparing an "attack".

"Wow, Mozi, that's amazing!" Jiejie was the first to rush over, exclaiming exaggeratedly, "You can grow the world's number one top laner from farming? Are your radishes made of gold?"

Saint Gun Bro also sincerely said, "Brother Mozi, your Yasuo game really made me cry. I feel like even if I practice for another hundred years, I still can't pull off that kind of play."

Su Mo yawned: "Alright, stop bragging. What are we having for dinner tonight? I'm hungry."

The factory manager and Abu walked out of the coaching room with satisfied smiles on their faces.

"The club has booked a table at a restaurant by the Huangpu River tonight!" Abu waved his hand. "Order whatever you want! Mozi finally got a chance to play, we have to celebrate properly!"

On the way to the victory celebration banquet, the online world was already in an uproar because of this match.

On Weibo's trending topics list, five of the top ten spots were occupied by topics related to this match.

#EDG defeats TES#
#MoYasuo 1v2 counter-kill#
#HeartacheFor369#
#Even five bans couldn't stop this god#
#StardewValley#
Discussion forums and apps on major esports platforms were flooded with countless analysis posts, recap posts, and posts praising the pros.

A tech enthusiast analyzed every frame of Su Mo's 1v2 comeback, from positioning to the timing of skill release, and concluded that it was "the limit of human reaction speed."

A tactical mastermind reviewed his mind-blowing decision to walk from the top lane to support the bottom lane, calling it "the art of making the most of psychological warfare and timing."

Countless fans and players flocked to the Stardew Valley store page, causing this casual farming game to inexplicably experience another sales surge years after its release.

The TES team, who served as the backdrop, also gave a group interview to the media after the match.

When asked by a reporter how he would evaluate his matchup against Mo, 369 shook his head with a wry smile: "I can't comment. It felt like a player who had just left the newbie village encountered a max-level, fully-equipped boss. He seemed to know every move I was going to make, while I couldn't see through him at all. It was definitely a lesson learned; I'll go back and study the replays carefully."

This candid and humble statement not only prevented him from being ridiculed, but also won him the sympathy and respect of many viewers.

The smoke of the opening match slowly dissipated amidst EDG's resounding victory and the nationwide celebration.

But everyone knows that for LPL and for League of Legends teams around the world, this match is just the beginning.

After the festivities of the opening match, EDG's summer season journey has officially begun.

Just as everyone predicted before the match, this team, which had just proven itself on the world stage, demonstrated unparalleled dominance in the LPL.

In the following two weeks, they easily defeated the formidable LNG and WE with clean 2-0 victories. It's worth noting that Su Mo did not play in either of these matches.

EDG's starting top laner remains Flandre.

After that enlightening guidance and victory in the second game of the opening match, Saint Gun seemed to have unlocked his full potential, and his overall condition and confidence reached a new level.

He played with increasing stability and skill in the laning phase, and also demonstrated great ease in team coordination. With him stabilizing the situation in the top lane, the other players on EDG could unleash their talents without any worries.

Su Mo, on the other hand, continued his leisurely life as a "substitute grandpa" with a clear conscience.

While his teammates were sweating profusely in the training room, engaging in intense tactical drills for their next opponent, Su Mo went to play Civilization VI.

"Brother Mozi, aren't you going to study the replays of our next opponent, FPX?" During a break in the training match, Meiko, holding a cup of coffee, curiously approached Su Mo from behind.

“No need,” Su Mo said without looking up. “Tactics are something your coaching staff should be researching. All I need to know is to go on the court and crush the opponent.”

These words left Meiko speechless.

He knew that Su Mo wasn't arrogant, but rather possessed absolute confidence.

For this man, any opponent's tactics will ultimately be crushed by his unparalleled personal abilities.

Time quickly passed to the weekend of the third week of the regular season, which was also the most anticipated match since the start of the summer season.

EDG vs. FPX!

FPX is a team with an extremely unique style. Their core player is Doinb, the mid-laner known as a "tactical genius".

His vast and imaginative hero pool and his playstyle centered around supporting the side lanes always manage to throw opponents into an unexpected and chaotic rhythm.

Their top laner is Nuguri, a player they acquired from the LCK region with a hefty investment.

Nuguri is known for his extremely aggressive laning style and unpredictable split-pushing ability, and is hailed as "the last aggressive top laner of glory in the LCK".

This match was regarded by countless viewers as the most prestigious "battle of the titans" in the LPL regular season.

On the night of the match, the atmosphere in EDG's rest room became somewhat serious for the first time.

“FPX has been in excellent form recently,” Abu circled Doinb and Nuguri’s portraits on the strategy board. “Their core strategy is for Doinb to pick a supportive mid laner, freeing himself up, and then, together with jungler Tian, ​​to relentlessly target the top lane, helping Nuguri establish an absolute advantage. Once Nuguri gets going in the top lane, he will start an unstoppable split push, dragging the opponent down to their death.”

The factory manager added, "Holy Gun, you'll be under a lot of pressure laning against Nuguri today. Don't try to get a solo kill, just focus on farming and wait for our mid and jungle to come to your aid."

"Understood." Saint Gun took a deep breath and nodded.

In this match, EDG once again opted to start Flandre.

However, the competition proved to be more difficult than they had anticipated.

In the first game, during the draft phase, FPX demonstrated their shrewd tactical reserves.

Doinb, in the fifth-floor counter position, actually locked in a mid-lane Kled!
"My God! It's Doinb's signature Kled!" Miller exclaimed from the commentary booth. "Once this champion gets going, combined with the jungler's ganks, EDG's side lanes will face a devastating blow!"

As expected, after the game started, Doinb's Kled almost never stayed in the mid lane after reaching level six.

The horn-like sound of his ultimate skill became an inescapable nightmare for EDG's side laners.

The top laner, Flandre, was able to maintain an even matchup against Nuguri's Kennen while playing Renekton.

But with Doinb's Kled and Tian's Olaf charging in again and again, his turrets were destroyed early on, and his development space was severely squeezed.

Despite EDG's efforts to hold on thanks to the strong performances of Viper and Meiko in the bot lane, FPX had completely taken control of the game's tempo.

At 25 minutes, FPX took advantage of Nuguri's Kennen's immense pressure on the side lanes to successfully rush down Baron Nashor.

Ultimately, with Doinb's signature "driving" charge, FPX decisively ended the first game.

FPX takes the first game 1-0.

Back in the lounge, the atmosphere was heavy.

“It’s my fault,” Flandre took the blame, “Once Doinb drives, I can’t escape at all. The top, mid, and jungle players are all charging at my face, and there’s nothing I can do.”

“It’s not your fault,” Abu shook his head. “Our draft was outmaneuvered by them. We underestimated Doinb’s determination to bring out Kled.”

Just then, Su Mo, who had been silent all along, slowly stood up from the sofa.

"I'll play next round."

His voice wasn't loud, but it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

Abu and the factory manager exchanged a glance and nodded without hesitation: "Okay."

After a short break, when the host announced that EDG had brought in Mo, the entire stadium erupted in cheers once again!

"He's here! He's finally here!" Wawa exclaimed excitedly. "When the team is in trouble, that man is always EDG's most reliable pillar of strength!"

On the FPX stand, Nuguri watched the change in the opposing player's ID, and instead of feeling nervous, his eyes ignited an even more intense fighting spirit.

He came to the LPL to face the strongest opponents.

And the person in front of him was undoubtedly the strongest target he had been searching for!
The second game begins, the draft phase!
EDG has moved to the blue side.

This time, FPX did not use five bans to target SuMo like TES did.

They only banned Irelia and Akali, giving more restrictions to EDG's mid and jungle.

Clearly, they want to use their most confident top-mid-jungle system to go head-to-head with the fully-formed EDG!
EDG immediately secured Fiora, the Grand Duelist, for Su Mo!

"It's Fiora!" Miller's voice suddenly rose. "EDG has chosen to use their strongest spear against their sharpest shield! Mo and Nuguri are about to have a real duel online!"

Upon seeing Fiora, Nuguri's lips curled into a slight smile. After consulting with the coach, he decisively locked in Camille!

Both are split-pushing heroes, and both are representatives of high-skill-cap heroes!

"Nuguri has accepted!" Rita's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Fiora versus Camille! This is one of the top-tier top lane matchups in the LPL and even the world stage! The excitement of this match is already foreseeable!" (End of Chapter)