LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

FPX was simply unable to withstand the onslaught of EDG's five players.

The vast economic disparity meant they were utterly crushed.

EDG ended the game in one fell swoop from the bottom lane.

【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, grabbed Scout who was still reminiscing beside her, and shook 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 leaned back in his chair and stretched.

On the other side of the stage, FPX's booth was completely silent.

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

Guided by the staff, the two teams, with completely different feelings, walked off the stage and returned to the backstage dressing room.

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

The moment the door to the FPX lounge was closed.

The team members slumped onto the sofas, no one spoke, and even their heavy breathing could be heard clearly.

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

The loss in the first game was not due to poor tactical execution or major operational errors.

That was a pure, higher-dimensional crushing defeat.

That top laner, Heimerdinger, was like an unremovable nail, completely disrupting all their plans.

"Mine." Finally, Doinb, the core of the team, broke the silence. His voice was hoarse. "I shouldn't have been so aggressive in the level 1 team fight. I gave him too comfortable a start."

“No, it’s my fault,” Nuguri looked up, his eyes bloodshot. “I got completely destroyed in lane, and he farmed too comfortably. That champion… I had no idea how to deal with him.”

"Now is not the time to assign blame!" the coach finally spoke, his voice not loud, but unusually firm. "We have no time for regrets! We only have a few minutes to figure out how to play the second set!"

He walked to the tactics board, took a deep breath, and his tone became extremely solemn.

The coach's eyes sharpened. "In the next game, we must bring out our trump card! We need to force him into a very standard match! Nuguri, pick your most confident hero, and I'll have Tian help you!"

……

In stark contrast to the somber atmosphere at FPX's side, EDG's rest room was filled with a relaxed and joyful mood.

"Brother Mozi, your big head is too flashy!" Jiejie said with a smile. "When I saw Nuguri's Gragas in the jungle, he didn't even dare to take the experience. I almost burst out laughing."

"The main reason is that we played well in that level 1 team fight," Meiko pushed up his glasses and analyzed, "We forced Doinb to use his Flash, which prevented him from roaming in the early game, making our rhythm much more comfortable."

Abu and the factory manager also had smiles on their faces.

At this moment, Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "Let Saint Gun Bro play in the next game. He hasn't played in a long time, let him show his face."

Upon hearing this, Abu was taken aback.

Li Xuanjun suddenly raised his head: "Brother Mozi, can I?"

“Go ahead,” Su Mo patted his shoulder, a smile playing on his lips, “Let them see your strength.”

Abu and the factory manager exchanged a glance, then smiled.

Since Su Mo had already said so, they had no objections.

Anyway, Su Mo will cover for us.

“Okay!” Abu made a quick decision. “Then it’s settled! Saint Gun, get ready to warm up, you’re up for the second game! Mozi, you stay and watch with us from down here.”

“No problem.” Su Mo readily agreed and walked directly to the sofa behind the coach’s bench, where he sat down comfortably.

When the news of the substitution was announced to the organizers and broadcast by the commentator, the audience immediately started discussing it.

The live stream chat was flooded with comments, like a waterfall:

[What?! A roster change for the finals? What's EDG up to?]

[Is Mozi slacking off again? Is he looking down on FPX?]

[Holy Gun is finally on the field! My youth is back!]

Amidst the clamor outside, Su Mo and the factory manager were already comfortably seated in front of the viewing screen in the lounge.

On the huge screen, the main picture of the game and the players' first-person perspectives are clearly displayed.

"FPX is probably completely bewildered." Clearlove couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the expressions of the FPX players on the screen. "They prepared a million tactics to counter you, but you just didn't even bother to engage."

Su Mo simply smiled and remained silent, his gaze calmly fixed on the BP screen.

Finally, after some negotiation, the lineups for both sides were finalized.

Blue side FPX: Top lane Kennen, Jungle Fryego, Mid lane Ryze, Bot lane Aphelios and Lulu.

Red team EDG: Top lane Malphite, Jungle Xin Zhao, Mid lane LeBlanc, Bot lane Ezreal and Tahm Kench.

“Malphite vs. Kennen,” Su Mo said, looking at the screen. “Holy Gun’s mission this game is very clear: to withstand the pressure. Nuguri will definitely play very aggressively, trying to get revenge in lane.”

“That’s right,” Abu nodded. “FPX’s lineup focuses on the laning advantage in the top half of the map and Ryze’s roaming. They want to create an opening in the top lane and then spread it to the mid and jungle.”

Game start.

"Holy Gun played very steadily," the factory manager nodded in satisfaction as he watched Li Xuanjun's Malphite choose Doran's Shield to start and immediately place defensive wards in the river. "He knows what he's supposed to do this game."

On the screen, Nuguri's Kennen indeed began to exert relentless pressure from level one, constantly whittling down the Malphite's health by utilizing his long range advantage.

Li Xuanjun remained unmoved, calmly using his Q skill to finish off the ranged minions and maintain his health at a safe level.

“Nuguri got a little impatient,” Su Mo calmly analyzed as he watched Kennen push too far into the lane, giving Jiejie’s Xin Zhao an opportunity to force him to use Flash. “He was too eager to prove that he was better than Flandre, which gave Jiejie the chance.”

At six minutes, Doinb's Ryze reached level six and immediately activated his ultimate, heading straight for the bottom lane with jungler Tian's Foygo!
FPX's classic four-man gank on the second flank.

The atmosphere in the lounge became tense.

However, EDG's bot lane duo displayed amazing synergy and composure.

Meiko's Tahm Kench anticipated the danger and swallowed Viper whole, thus avoiding Lulu's crucial Polymorph.

After Viper landed, he used his E skill to create distance, and the two retreated to the second tower unharmed.

"Beautiful!" the factory manager couldn't help but exclaim. "Meiko and Viper are truly in sync."

Su Mo laughed and said, "This way, Saint Gun Bro will be much more comfortable in the top lane."

As expected, with FPX focusing all their efforts on the bottom lane, Flandre's Malphite farmed safely in the top lane until level six.

Thirteen minutes into the game, the two sides clashed in the river for the dragon, resulting in the first large-scale team fight.

FPX's formation was excellent, and Nuguri's Kennen flanked, looking for an opportunity to engage, and it looked like a perfect gank was about to happen.

Just as Nuguri's Kennen activated his ultimate and charged into EDG's backline like a bolt of lightning, Flandre made his move!
He instantly flashed and appeared right in front of FPX's backline!

Ultimate move: Unstoppable!
"Boom!!!" The rock-solid body slammed into FPX's most vulnerable two carries with an unstoppable force!

Lwx's Aphelios and Doinb's Ryze were both knocked out!
"NICE!!!" The factory manager and Abu stood up from the sofa at the same time and shouted excitedly.

"It's now!"

Scout's LeBlanc swooped in like a ghost, unleashing a fluid combo that instantly killed the knocked-up Aphelios! Jiejie's Xin Zhao also charged forward, pinning Ryze to the ground!

FPX's team fight was instantly crushed!

EDG executed a perfect team fight, trading 1 for 4, and then secured the dragon.

"Holy Gun's crash is likely to shatter FPX's championship dream." Su Mo finally smiled as he watched the defeated FPX on the screen.

The rest of the match went into a rhythm that EDG was most familiar with.

They used their team fight victories to continuously erode FPX's jungle resources and turrets.

The Stone Golem became a point that FPX couldn't handle.

He doesn't need to deal a lot of damage; just unleashing his devastating ultimate in team fights is enough to secure victory.

At 26 minutes, EDG secured Baron Nashor and, with the Baron buff, marched onto FPX's high ground.

The Malphite took the lead and once again initiated a team fight with an impeccable ultimate, knocking away three FPX players.

Then they achieved an incredible team wipe, with a 0-for-5 exchange!
With the deafening explosion of FPX's base crystal, EDG successfully secured the victory in the second game!
2-0! Match point!
Inside the break room, the factory manager and Abu excitedly high-fived in celebration.

"That was a brilliant play!" the factory manager exclaimed with a broad smile. "Holy Gun was truly a pillar of strength this game!"

A relieved smile appeared on Su Mo's face.

"This kid has been holding it in for too long," the factory manager remarked. "This one big move has unleashed all the frustration he's had throughout the season."

Abu adjusted his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses filled with approval: "This is what I've always emphasized: EDG is a team. Everyone needs to step up when needed. Even if Mozi wants to slack off, the others need to be able to hold their own."

Su Mo just smiled, stood up from the sofa, and stretched: "Let's go and welcome our hero."

When the EDG players returned to the rest room, they were greeted with applause from SuMo, Clearlove, and Abu.

"Well done, Holy Gun Bro." Su Mo handed him a bottle of water.

Saint Gun took the water, a little excited and a little embarrassed, and scratched his head: "Hehe, it's still Mozi who's so good at planning, it puts a lot less pressure on me."

"Alright, alright, stop with the mutual flattery," Jiejie shouted from the side. "2-0! Match point! Mozi, are you going to play in the third game? Go up there and take them 3-0, then we'll go get some late-night snacks!"

Abu and the factory manager also looked at him, waiting for his decision.

From a tactical perspective, having Su Mo enter the game to end it is the safest option.

However, Su Mo turned his gaze to Saint Gun Bro again and lazily spoke:
"I think I'll pass. I just sat down and haven't even warmed up yet. Besides, Flandre is on fire right now, it would be a shame to take him off. Let him keep playing, I trust him."

"I...I'll play again?" Flandre's eyes were filled with disbelief.

This is the match point of the finals! The pressure is immense.

"What? You don't dare?" Su Mo raised an eyebrow.

"Dare! Of course I dare!" Holy Gun Bro straightened his back instantly, a surge of adrenaline rushing to his head. Feeling empowered by Su Mo's trust, he declared, "I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

Abu and the factory manager exchanged a glance, both seeing a smile in each other's eyes.

"Alright!" Abu said, "Holy Gun, third round, let's continue!"

……

Unlike the relaxed atmosphere on EDG's side, the FPX rest area was rather silent at this moment.

"boom!"

Doinb slammed his fist into his thigh, making a dull thud.

"Why can't we even beat a substitute?" he said, somewhat resentful.

Nuguri buried her face deeply in her arms, the game awkward.

In the second game, he picked Kennen as a counter-pick, but still failed to gain any advantage in lane. In team fights, he was made to look like a clown by a Malphite.

This sense of frustration almost shattered his self-confidence.

The coach stood to the side, his lips moving slightly, but he couldn't utter a single word.

"...It's not over yet." Jungler Tian slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with exhaustion, but he hadn't given up.

"We haven't lost yet." He looked at his teammates and said, word by word, "We are FPX. Even if we lose, we'll make them spit blood in our faces!"

These words struck like a heavy hammer against the numb hearts of every team member.

Doinb raised his head, looked at the bloodlust in Tian's eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly stood up.

"Xiao Tian is right." His voice regained a hint of its usual fervor. "Next round, no tactics. Just one word—Go! Let them see how a phoenix rises from the ashes!"

……

When both contestants took to the stage for the third time, the atmosphere had become somewhat delicate.

BP starts.

EDG remains on the red side.

FPX's draft picks became unusually aggressive. They used all three bans on Jiejie's jungle carry champions, clearly indicating their intention to dominate the top half of the map.

EDG, on the other hand, continued to ban support-oriented mid-laners such as Ryze and Galio.

FPX made an astonishingly quick decision during the player selection process.

First floor, Kree locked in instantly!

"Kled!" Miller exclaimed. "Doinb has picked his most iconic champion! Charge! This is FPX sounding the horn for their all-out attack!"

Then, Xin Zhao in the jungle, Jayce in the top lane, and Kai'Sa and Leona in the bot lane.

A lineup that is completely offensive, with "offense" written all over its face.

For EDG, the top laner is Ornn, the jungler is Jarvan IV, the mid laner is Syndra, and the bot lane consists of Jhin and Braum.

Game start.

As everyone expected, FPX launched a tidal wave of attacks from the very first second.

Doinb's Kled went straight to the top lane river bush at level one to help Nuguri's Jayce clear the lane.

Tian's Xin Zhao abandoned all conventional jungle routes, using E-Flash to force a gank in the mid lane at level three, forcing Scout's Syndra to use Flash.

"FPX has gone mad!" Miller exclaimed, watching the battle signals flashing on the minimap. "They've completely abandoned the bottom half of the map, and three of them are camped out in the top half! Flandre is under immense pressure!"

Jayce faced relentless pressure from the opposing mid, top, and jungle players, making the game extremely difficult.

At six minutes into the game, FPX's top, mid, and jungle players grouped up, forced a tower dive, and killed Ornn, securing first blood.

FPX gained an advantage in the top lane, but at the cost of a significant disadvantage in the bottom lane and the loss of jungle resources.

Jiejie's Prince easily secured the first dragon and completely cleared FPX's lower jungle. (End of Chapter)