LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

"LNG's initiation was perfect! Scout's Viktor was controlled, and Viper is also facing a huge threat!" Miller's voice was already in his throat.

However, EDG, this battle-hardened champion team, displayed a calmness in the face of adversity that exceeded everyone's expectations!
The moment Scout was controlled, Meiko's Thresh didn't hesitate at all and flashed to the side.

He threw out his lantern, pulling EZ over and creating the perfect space for Viper to deal damage!
Jiejie's Widow did not choose to retreat; instead, she focused all her skills on Olaf.

Scout's Viktor, in the instant he was focused down, had already anticipated this and cast his W [Gravity Field] at his feet!
The moment the control ended, Icon's Seraphine and Crisp's Lothar were both stunned on the spot!
With his last breath, he unleashed his ultimate move, [Chaos Storm], and an electromagnetic storm began to rage!
The battlefield descended into a chaotic and fierce battle! Both sides' health was dropping rapidly!
LNG's front line is still struggling to hold on thanks to its tankiness, while Light's Kai'Sa is preparing to enter the fray and reap the rewards!
However, a man whom everyone had temporarily forgotten arrived.

In the bottom lane, Su Mo's Jayce pushed the minion wave up to the high ground, bringing Ale's Ornn to low health and forcing him to return to base. Without hesitation, he immediately pressed the teleport button!
A blue beam of teleportation light shot into the sky from the back of the LNG!

"It's Mo!! He teleported!" Rita's scream pierced the entire studio. "He's here to clean up the battlefield!"

In LNG's team voice chat, Icon stared at the TP beam and roared, "Remove it! Remove it now! Forget about it!"

However, it was too late.

Teleported to the ground!
Su Mo's Jayce appeared in LNG's most vulnerable back row!
Without even pausing, he unleashed a double QE combo in cannon form, simultaneously activating his W skill [Super Charge], firing three basic attacks with terrifying attack speed like lasers towards Seraphine, who was closest to him!

The enhanced cannon and the normal attack landed on Seraphine almost simultaneously!

Icon's Seraphine, the core mage who had just delivered perfect control in the team fight, had her health bar instantly emptied and collapsed to the ground!

"He's melted!! He melted LNG's mid laner!" Miller was completely frantic, waving his arms as if he wanted to tear down the commentary booth. "That's Jayce! That's EDG.Mo!"

After killing Seraphine, Su Mo immediately turned his attention to Kai'Sa, who was still trying to deal damage.

Light's pupils contracted sharply, and he used Blink to try to escape the demon's range!
However, Su Mo's index finger had already predictively pressed the F key!

Follow me!

Switch to hammer form, unleash Q skill [Leap of the Sky], and then swing E skill [Thunder Strike]!
A heavy blow shattered Kai'Sa's last hope, along with her health bar!
The others didn't have time to come and protect him.

With the LNG's two carries eliminated, the outcome of this team fight was no longer in doubt.

EDG finished off the enemy with overwhelming force.

EDG only lost one Viktor while the opposing team lost four, resulting in a 1-for-4 trade, which can be considered a huge win for them.

"It's over! The game might be over!" Wawa sighed. "EDG doesn't even need this Baron! It seems like they can end it all in one fell swoop!"

As he said, EDG's dead player, along with the minion wave that had gathered in the mid lane, stepped onto LNG's mid lane high ground.

Ale, facing five ferocious enemies, symbolically unleashed his ultimate ability to clear the minions, only to be quickly melted into the crowd.

Finally, accompanied by the crisp and loud explosion of the LNG base crystal.

With the crisp and loud explosion of the LNG base crystal, the first game of this semi-final came to a close with a resounding victory for EDG.

【VICTORY】

A huge victory emblem slowly appeared in the center of the screens of the five EDG players.

"Nice!"

Jiejie was the first to take off her headphones, excitedly jumping up from her gaming chair, grabbing Scout who was still savoring the moment, and shaking him vigorously.

Meiko and Viper exchanged a smile, high-fived in celebration, their relaxed expressions suggesting that it was just an ordinary ranked match.

Su Mo was, as always, the last to take off his headphones.

He leaned back in his chair, stretched, and remained expressionless, as if the earth-shattering feat of teleporting behind and instantly killing two carries was as simple as drinking water or eating for him.

His calm gaze swept over the sea of ​​black and gold below the stage, which was boiling with excitement for him, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

On the other side of the stage, the LNG's battle area was completely silent.

The air seemed to freeze, making it hard for everyone to breathe.

Crisp, the support player, took off his headphones, his hands hanging limply at his sides. His eyes were glazed over as he stared at his gray screen, seemingly still unable to recover from the devastating defeat in the final team fight.

Jungler Tarzan pursed his lips tightly, reviewing the decisions made in the final wave over and over again, his eyes filled with resentment and regret.

Mid laner Icon buried his face deeply in his arms, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Top laner Ale is the one who expresses his emotions the most.

He scratched his head hard, his face filled with frustration and confusion.

Throughout the entire match, starting from the laning phase, he experienced a feeling of despair.

That Jess was like the sky above him on his journey; no matter how careful he was, he could not escape the shadow of that shadow.

He felt like he wasn't competing, but rather being given a lesson that lasted more than twenty minutes.

The director's camera thoughtfully switched back and forth between the faces of the two contestants, creating a stark contrast between the joy of victory and the dejection of defeat.

The atmosphere at the scene had already been completely ignited by EDG fans.

The deafening roar of "EDG" accompanied by the synchronized banging of light sticks created a wave of sound that nearly lifted the dome of the entire venue.

Meanwhile, on major live streaming platforms, the screen was completely flooded with comments.

[It's over! This is EDG! This is the power of a dynasty!]

[Mo Shen, my Superman! That TP flank, I was blown away! It was like a game-changing attack!]

[I feel so sorry for Ale. He seems to have been traumatized. Jayce eating your jungle monsters right in front of you, who could stand that?]

LNG executed their tactics very well, and their four-man gank on the second lane was successful. But unfortunately, they had a boss ganked in the top lane that they simply couldn't handle.

[Regarding my top laner having a one-item lead over the opponent], [One person's economy equals that of the opponent's mid and top laners]

[Stop bragging, stop bragging, it's standard procedure, everyone sit down! Didn't you see that Mo Shen's face is expressionless? He's just a little bored.] Amidst the commotion, both players stood up and headed to the rest room.

The LNG team members tried to stay alert, but their expressions still betrayed their disappointment.

Both teams returned to their respective backstage lounges.

This short ten-minute break will determine their fate in the next game.

LNG lounge.

"boom."

The moment the door closed, the oppressive atmosphere in the lounge seemed to instantly suck all the oxygen away.

The team members slumped onto the sofas, and no one spoke.

The coach held the tactics board, wanting to speak several times, but didn't know where to begin.

The loss in the first game wasn't due to poor tactical execution or major operational errors. It was a pure, higher-level crushing defeat.

This kind of failure is the most agonizing.

"Mine." Finally, Tarzan, the core of the team, broke the silence. His voice was low. "They figured out my counter-jungling, and I couldn't get the early game momentum going."

“No, it’s my fault,” Ale looked up, his eyes bloodshot. “I was completely outmatched in lane, which allowed him to farm too comfortably and gave him the resources to split push and team fight later on. This guy… he seems to know every move I’m going to make.”

"Now is not the time to assign blame!" the coach finally spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it was unusually firm, instantly drawing everyone's attention. "We don't have time to regret! We only have a few minutes to figure out how to play the second set!"

He walked to the tactics board and sighed.

“Conventional tactics are no longer working.” The coach’s eyes sharpened. “We can’t contain him online, and we certainly can’t stifle him through ganks. Therefore…”

He took a deep breath, his tone becoming extremely solemn.

“Ale,” the coach looked at him, “in the next game, I won’t pick any heroes that require skillful maneuvering. I’ll pick a pure tank for you, and your only task is to use your life to hold him off! Survive as long as you can!”

Ale's lips twitched, thinking to himself, "Wasn't my Ornn in the last game pure enough?"
However, he didn't say it aloud.

“Tarzan, Icon,” the coach turned his gaze to the mid and jungle, “you two, from now on, completely forget about the top half of the map. In your world, there is only the mid and bot lanes! We are going to pour all the resources and all the ganks into Light! We are going to use the ultimate 'four-man gank' or even 'five-man gank' to nurture a monster-level AD carry before the 15-minute mark!”

After hearing the coach's tactical instructions, the flames that had been extinguished in the eyes of the LNG players were rekindled with a glimmer of light.

"No problem!" Ale was the first to speak, his eyes resolute. "As long as we can win, I'll play anything!"

"Let's do it!" Doinb nodded vigorously.

EDG's lounge: A relaxed atmosphere and strategic planning
In stark contrast to the somber atmosphere at LNG, EDG's lounge was filled with a relaxed and joyful mood.

"Brother Mozi, your last TP was so cool!" Meiko said with a smile. "I was almost at my limit on the front line, but when I looked at the minimap, wow, you appeared right in front of the enemy's two carries."

Jiejie handed over a bottle of water with an admiring look on her face: "Brother Mozi, teach me, how do you manage to hit people so accurately with your Jess shot every time? I feel like Light is going to get psychologically traumatized by it."

Su Mo took the water, took a sip, and leaned lazily against the sofa: "It's nothing, just practice more."

This casual remark made Jiejie's lips twitch.

Abu and the factory manager also had smiles on their faces, but they were not blinded by victory.

"You played well, especially the counter-gank in the bottom lane and the coordination in the last team fight, it was perfect." Abu first affirmed the team's performance, then changed the subject, "However, they should learn from their mistakes in the next game."

The factory manager walked to the tactics board and analyzed, "I guess they will completely abandon the top lane again in the next game. Ale might pick a tank hero to farm, and then Tarzan will treat the bottom lane as their home and launch endless attacks."

He looked at the bottom lane duo, Viper and Meiko: "You'll be under a lot of pressure in the next game."

Viper, through translation, confidently stated, "It's okay, we can handle it."

Meiko adjusted her glasses and calmly said, "As long as Jiejie can counter-gank in time, we can make a move."

"Very good." Abu nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the leisurely Su Mo. "So, Brother Mo, in the second game, they might let you roam free and play a single-player game on the top lane by yourself. Will you find it boring?"

All eyes were focused on Su Mo.

Su Mo yawned, seemingly uninterested in the topic, and simply said, "Don't worry, we can win."

This answer was exactly what everyone expected.

Abu and the factory manager exchanged a glance; they already knew the answer in their hearts.

The bell rang to signal the end of halftime.

With completely different tactical arrangements and mental states, the players from the two teams rearranged their equipment and team uniforms, and walked proudly back onto the brightly lit, highly anticipated stage.

As the contestants returned to their seats, the stage lights shone again, and the countdown to the second round began on the giant electronic screen. The atmosphere at the Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center reached another peak.

"Welcome back to the 2021 LPL Summer Playoffs Semifinals!" Miller's voice was still passionate as he spoke from the commentary booth. "In the first game, EDG showed us their strong operational capabilities and Mo's unparalleled individual skill! They cleanly and decisively took the first point!"

Wawa remarked, "Yes! LNG's tactics in the first game were actually quite targeted, but unfortunately, EDG's response was even more perfect. Now, LNG is standing on the edge of a cliff. What tactics will they use in the second game? We'll wait and see!"

Rita's beautiful eyes sparkled with anticipation: "The decisive game tests not only skills and tactics, but also the players' willpower and mental fortitude! I'm very curious to see how LNG's top laner, Ale, will adjust his mentality after being almost completely suppressed in the first game!"

In the stands, the black and gold waves of cheering grew ever stronger, while on the other side, the light green flags, though sparse, continued to wave tenaciously, offering their final encouragement to their home team.

The camera panned to the players' seats.

On the EDG side, the players looked relaxed, and even seemed to be joking with each other.

On the LNG side, everyone's face was filled with solemnity, as if they were about to rush into a war with no way out.

"Alright! Both players are ready! Game 2 of the BO5, the draft phase, is about to begin!" Miller's voice rang out, opening the second act of this ultimate battle. (End of Chapter)