LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

After the EDG meeting ended, everyone went straight to playing ranked games.

"Let's get started! Korean server launch!" Jiejie was the first to yell, putting on his headphones and rushing into the ranked queue. "I want to see just what kind of monster this Miss Fortune with 16 waves of bullets is!"

Su Mo rubbed his forehead: "Seriously, why are you so excited as a jungler? Even Viper isn't as excited as you..."

"Hehe, I call that having the big picture in mind!"

"..."

Soon, the training room was filled with the crisp sound of keyboards and the clicking of mice.

Everyone is embracing version 11.19 as quickly as possible and in their own way.

Jiejie's first experience was not pleasant.

He initially chose the AD carry role, but ended up playing jungle.

He confidently picked Lee Sin, but in a river skirmish, he was wiped out by a mediocre Miss Fortune's ultimate through the wall, leaving him with very low health, which directly led to the defeat at the dragon pit.

"I'm cracked!" he wailed as he ripped off his headphones. "This damage is utterly unreasonable! From now on, if anyone calls Miss Fortune a 'scratcher,' I'll be the first to argue with them!"

Viper then easily dominated a lane with the Lucian and Nami combo, and then switched to Miss Fortune, gaining a huge advantage in the laning phase as well.

After the game, he simply remarked to Meiko beside him, "Miss Gunner, Tier 0. Luna, still playable."

In just a few words, the answer to the question has been revealed.

Su Mo's demeanor, however, was completely different from that of his tense teammates.

He leaned back leisurely in his gaming chair, with one side of the screen showing his Korean server Challenger rank match, and the other side showing a highly-rated art film.

He casually locked in a top lane Graves champion with the "Grasp of the Undying" rune, just to test the waters of someone else's research.

His gameplay was fluid and seamless, with last-hitting, trading blows, and controlling the lane, making it seem like he wasn't playing a high-intensity Korean Challenger game, but rather a casual match.

During this time, he even had a moment to pick up his water glass, take a sip, and glance at the movie's plot.

The key point is that he also completely crushed the opposing team.

This extreme contrast caused Jiejie's lips to twitch as she occasionally looked back.

The differences between people can sometimes be greater than the differences between people and dogs.

In the days that followed, EDG entered a period of grueling training.

The boundary between day and night became blurred, and the Shanghai outside the window gradually turned from the lingering warmth of late summer to the coolness of autumn, but the temperature inside the training room remained scorching hot.

Training is no longer limited to monotonous individual rankings.

Every afternoon is the fixed time for training matches.

Abu used all his connections to invite all the LPL teams that qualified for the World Championship—RNG, FPX, and other strong teams like TES and LNG that failed to qualify—to a high-intensity BO3 and BO5 match.

Every training match is a real tactical battle.

FPX continued to stick to their signature mid-jungle synergy and four-man ganks, while RNG opted for a classic four-protect-one strategy centered around their bot lane, and TES's two carries consistently delivered amazing bursts of damage.

In clashes with these strong teams with vastly different styles, EDG constantly tested the strength of the new version's lineup and refined the team's tactical details.

The most grueling part is the post-match review at night, after the training matches have ended.

In front of the huge tactical screen, the team members and coaching staff sat together, dragging the progress bar over and over again, breaking down and analyzing every team fight and every decision made during the day.

"Meiko, look at this play. Your positioning was too far forward, which allowed the enemy assassin on the flank to find an opportunity for Viper."

"Jiejie, we can let the river crab go. Your position should be to protect the mid lane pusher."

"Scout, watch out for the signal! Doinb has been gone for three seconds, you should move back!"

Arguments, analyses, and sighs rose and fell in the conference room.

Everyone shared their understanding of the game without reservation, and in the intense clash of ideas, they sought the optimal solution to achieve victory.

Meanwhile, Su Mo, during this period, still retained his privilege of slacking off at will...

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, there are only three days left until the day we depart for Iceland.

EDG's preparations have entered the final sprint stage.

The final preparations are proceeding smoothly.

The logistics team prepared all the supplies for the team members to go to Iceland: uniform team clothes, peripheral equipment that was tested to the best condition, suitcases filled with hometown snacks and commonly used medicines, and even each person's passport and visa were repeatedly checked by a dedicated person.

The day we set off was a sunny morning.

EDG's official bus slowly drove out of the base in the morning light, without notifying any fans or media.

But on the way to Pudong International Airport, they still saw fans who had come to see them off.

They didn't block the road; they just held up a banner from a distance that read, "EDG, go Iceland! We're waiting for you to bring the championship back!"

When the team members arrived at the airport VIP channel, Rita, Luo Xin, and Yu Shuang were already waiting there.

They didn't say much, but simply gave Rita and Luo Xin a hug.

As for my widow...

Although Su Mo also sensed that Yu Shuang had feelings for him, she hadn't confessed yet, so she still needed to be discreet in public.

This was mainly to protect Yu Shuang's image, since she has so many male fans.

But to his surprise, Yu Shuang took the initiative to come over and opened her arms.

Su Mo smiled calmly and gave Yu Shuang a hug.

"Keep it up." Rita looked at Su Mo, and all the words in her eyes were ultimately condensed into these two words.

Su Mo nodded, looking at the three girls in front of him who cared about him.

The plane taxied on the runway, accelerated, and finally soared into the sky.

Su Mo leaned against the window, looking down at the gradually shrinking outline of Shanghai below, and then turned his gaze to the distant place covered by clouds.

That place is Iceland.

The plane broke through the thick clouds and soared steadily at an altitude of 10,000 meters.

Outside the porthole, the boundless blue sky and dazzling sunlight illuminated the cabin. Most of the EDG team members wore goggles and headphones, making the most of the dozen or so hours of flight time to adjust to the time difference and get into their best form.

Su Mo was not sleepy. He took out the folder prepared by the club from his backpack.

This contains a detailed list and analysis report of all participating teams in the 2021 League of Legends World Championship.

Under the lights, lines of beautifully printed text outline the ultimate map of League of Legends in the world today.

LPL: As the undisputed number one region, LPL still has four precious World Championship slots this year, and its strength and depth are awe-inspiring.

First seed: EDG, undefeated in both the regular season and playoffs, reigning supreme in the LPL with near-perfect form. The team boasts a god-like top laner, Mo; experienced and decisive jungler and support Jiejie and Meiko; and a solid mid and bot lane duo, Scout and Viper. With no weaknesses in their lineup, they are the biggest favorites to win this year's World Championship.

The second seed: the dark horse of 2019, renowned for its unique mid-jungle synergy and "four-man gank" strategy. Core mid-laner Doinb remains the team's absolute brain, jungler Tian's ability to drive the tempo is unparalleled in the league, and the newly added top laner Nuguri has further elevated the Phoenix's skill ceiling.

Third seed: RNG, a veteran powerhouse in the LPL. Although their performance fluctuated in the Summer Split, their "four-protect-one" strategy built around legendary ADC player Uzi (who, though retired, still lives on) and the rise of Gala in the bot lane make them a force to be reckoned with for any team.

Fourth seed LNG, the dark horse that fought its way through the qualifiers, has shown amazing resilience. Top laner Ale plays aggressively, jungler Tarzan was once the king of junglers in the LCK, and mid laner Icon is very experienced. Their potential is extremely high, and they have the ability to upset any strong opponent.

LCK (Korea): As the traditional powerhouse of League of Legends, the LCK region is making a strong comeback after a brief slump.

Seed #1: DK! Last year, as DWG, they crushed countless teams with their suffocating macro play and impeccable teamfights. Their core mid-jungle duo, Canyon and ShowMaker, are at the peak of their careers, top laner Khan is a seasoned veteran, and the bot lane duo of Ghost and BeryL is developing increasingly strong synergy. They are one of the strongest opponents on EDG's road to the top.

Second seed: GEN.G, another powerhouse in the LCK, formerly known as Samsung. The team boasts the legendary Ruler, with a stable playstyle, extremely strong macro-management, and remarkable resilience.

Third seed: T1, one of the greatest teams in League of Legends history. Three-time world champion Faker still anchors the mid lane; his very existence is a symbol of faith. The young team rebuilt around him is brimming with talent and drive, their strength unfathomable.

Fourth seed: HLE, also came from the qualifiers. The core of the team is two superstar players - mid laner Chovy and bot laner Deft, whose individual abilities are enough to change the course of any game.

Besides the two giants, LPL and LCK, challengers from other regions are also eyeing the competition.

LEC (European Region):

The number one seed, MAD, is known for its unconventional and artistic playstyle. They excel at chaotic battles and always come up with unexpected and unconventional strategies.

Second seed: Fnatic, a long-established powerhouse in Europe, the S1 World Champions, with extremely high popularity and a deep foundation.

Third seed: Rogue, the king of macro play in the European region, whose playstyle is quite similar to that of the LCK.

LCS (North American Region):

First seed: 100 Thieves - the new kings of North America, with a well-balanced team and strong tactical execution.

Second seed: Team Liquid - boasts several Korean players with strong individual skills.

Third seed: Cloud9 - North America's last hope, often playing the role of "spoiler" in world championships, known for his ability to pull off upsets.

In addition, there are champion teams from wildcard regions such as PCS (Southeast Asia), VCS (Vietnam), CBLOL (Brazil), and LJL (Japan). Although their overall strength is slightly inferior, they also have dreams and are eager to prove themselves on this highest stage.

Su Mo's fingertips lightly traced the names "DK" and "T1," his eyes deep and thoughtful.

Hopefully, this year will be more interesting.

……

After a long flight of more than ten hours, the plane finally landed smoothly at Keflavik International Airport in Iceland.

The moment they stepped out of the airport, a biting wind carrying the scent of the ocean and glaciers hit them, causing the team members, who were used to Shanghai's humid and hot climate, to instinctively tighten their team jackets.

As dusk settled, a peculiar glimmer of light appeared on the distant horizon—the last rays of light before the polar night. Riot Games' official reception staff were already waiting, warmly guiding the entire EDG team onto their private bus bound for the capital, Reykjavik.

The bus traveled along a highway that seemed to lead to the end of the world. On both sides of the road were vast and desolate black volcanic rock formations, occasionally dotted with some tenacious moss, creating a unique landscape.

Jiejie pressed herself against the window curiously and said, "It feels like the surface of the moon."

Finally, the bus drove into the brightly lit city of Reykjavik and stopped in front of a modern yet elegant five-star hotel.

This is the hotel arranged by Riot Games for all participating teams.

When the EDG team members dragged their suitcases into the hotel's magnificent lobby, they immediately felt the lively atmosphere that was completely different from the desolation outside.

The lobby was packed with people, including athletes, coaches, and media staff from all over the world, communicating in different languages. The air was filled with a mix of excitement and tension before the big battle.

Just then, a familiar figure stood up from the lobby lounge area and walked towards them with a smile.

"Welcome to Iceland, everyone."

The visitor was none other than Faker, the legendary mid-laner of T1.

He was wearing a simple T1 team uniform, with a gentle smile on his face, showing none of the fierce aura he exudes on the field.

"Faker senior!" Scout, who also debuted in the LCK, quickly stepped forward to greet him respectfully.

However, Faker's gaze passed through them and landed on Su Mo, who stood calmly at the back of the team.

He extended his hand and said in somewhat broken Chinese, "Mr. Mo, we meet again."

Su Mo also extended her hand and gently shook hands with him: "Hello, Sang-hyeok-ge."

This simple scene instantly attracted the attention of everyone in the lobby.

Countless cameras and mobile phones were pointed at these two kings of the old and new eras.

Before they could exchange more than a few words, another group of people gathered around after hearing the commotion.

"Hey, isn't this our LPL darlings!" A cheerful voice rang out. It was Armut, the goofy top laner from MAD in the LEC region. He immediately gave Jiejie a bear hug.

"Mo! My God! Can I get an autograph?" Perkz, the star mid-laner from C9, squeezed over, holding a marker in his hand. His enthusiastic fanboy look certainly lived up to his nickname of a genius who talks a lot of nonsense.

Then, a dramatic scene happened.

The hotel's revolving door opened again, and the entire team of LCK's number one seed and defending champion, DK, returned from outside.

When Canyon and ShowMaker saw Su Mo surrounded by the crowd, their eyes lit up.

ShowMaker pushed Perkz aside, walked up to Su Mo, and said in English, "Mo, long time no see. I brought you a gift."

As he spoke, he took out a beautifully wrapped box from behind him. "This is a gift I prepared for you."

Su Mo: ? ?

People around: ???

No, Gomen, are you sure you're here to compete and not to chase after celebrities?
Su Mo gave him a strange look. He also wanted to know what the gift was, but after all, they would be competitors from now on, and there were so many people watching.

He felt it was better not to, to avoid creating a stir. (End of Chapter)