LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

Faced with the ShowMaker's enthusiasm and the growing number of ambiguous gazes around him, Su Mo felt somewhat helpless.

He was well aware that during this sensitive pre-match period, accepting gifts from opponents, especially his biggest rival, in private, regardless of the gift itself, could be over-interpreted by outsiders and could even cause unnecessary drama.

Su Mo glanced at ShowMaker, then scanned the contestants and media personnel who were practically shoving their phones in their faces, and said, "This isn't a good idea, after all, we're opponents."

ShowMaker was clearly aware of this, but he just smiled and said, "Don't worry, you can open it directly. It's just a little gadget I made myself."

Su Mo understood, nodded, and readily said, "Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony."

Su Mo took the box and felt that it was quite heavy.

The packaging is simple, featuring the black and white color scheme of the DK esports team, with a gold-stamped team logo.

He calmly tore open the wrapping paper and opened the box in front of everyone.

The box was lined with soft black velvet, and there lay a miniature sculpture about the size of a palm.

chibi Jayce... and Syndra?

The sculpture is exquisitely crafted, and the material appears to be cold-cast bronze, with a deep metallic luster.

On the ruins of a top lane turret, Jayce, wielding a Mercury cannon and wearing the "Future Warrior" skin, stands looking down at the enemy with the cannon slightly tilted downwards.

Beneath the broken wall, a Syndra wearing the classic skin held a dark orb in one hand, her head slightly tilted back, her eyes filled with fearless fighting spirit.

Jayce's facial features bear a striking resemblance to Su Mo, and Syndra's eyes and brows also bear a resemblance to ShowMaker.

It's clear that Showmaker put a lot of effort into this.

Su Mo seemed very happy and said, "Thank you for your gift, I like it very much!"

As he spoke, he picked it up and showed it to the surrounding crowd.

"Wow!"

A burst of heartfelt admiration erupted from the crowd.

The value of this gift lies not in its price, but in the sentiment it conveys.

This goes beyond ordinary fan behavior; it's more like a top master paying tribute to another top master.

A genuine smile appeared in Su Mo's eyes.

He could sense the thought and effort ShowMaker had put into this gift.

This is not just a model, but a declaration of war, a recognition of heroes appreciating each other.

“It’s a wonderful gift, I love it,” Su Mo said again. “Thank you.”

ShowMaker's face lit up with a bright, relieved smile, and he nodded vigorously.

“Hey, ShowMaker! You’re being so biased! I want one too!” Perkz said sourly from the side, which made everyone burst into laughter again.

This little incident caused by the gift did not cause any unpleasantness; on the contrary, it made the atmosphere in the hotel lobby even more warm and harmonious.

The hotel lobby became increasingly crowded and noisy.

Su Mo didn't like having so many people, so he said goodbye to everyone and went back to his room with his teammates to put their things away.

However, not long after returning to their rooms, everyone was eager to try it out.

Jiejie, a restless person, peered out at the darkening sky outside the hotel and suggested, "Brother Mozi, Brother Mingkai, shall we go for a walk? We're already here, we should go out and have a look around, and maybe find a place to eat."

The proposal was immediately and unanimously agreed upon.

After a long journey, breathing in the cold Icelandic air and stretching your muscles is indeed a good choice.

The EDG team put on thick coats and stepped out of the warm, spring-like hotel.

A biting gust of cold wind instantly filled everyone's lungs, making Jiejie shiver: "My god, it's only the beginning of October, but it feels like winter in Northeast China!"

They strolled along the clean and tidy streets in front of the hotel, enjoying the unique night view of the world's northernmost capital.

Reykjavik's architecture is simple yet modern, with vibrant colors, making it resemble a town from a fairy tale under the streetlights.

They hadn't gone far when they encountered several familiar figures at a street corner.

Faker was standing with T1's support player Keria, seemingly discussing something.

Not far away, Perkz, Armut, and C9's support Vulcan were gathered around a hot dog stand, each with a hot dog in hand, enjoying their meal.

ShowMaker and Canyon hadn't gone far either, standing outside the window of a souvenir shop watching.

"What a coincidence!" Jiejie exclaimed.

Upon seeing the EDG team, Perkz enthusiastically waved a hot dog in his hand: "Hey! Mo! Are you guys out looking for food too? Want to try this? It's the most famous hot dog in Reykjavik, even Klinton says it's good!"

Su Mo smiled and glanced at the sightseeing group composed of top players from the four major regions of LPL, LCK, LEC, and LCS. A thought flashed through his mind.

He stepped forward and said in English, "Gentlemen, since we've all run into each other by such a coincidence, how about we have dinner together? It's on me."

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent for a moment.

Armut was the first to react, stuffing the last bite of the hot dog into his mouth and mumbling, "Really? Mo! You're so generous! I love you to death!"

Faker paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Good idea."

ShowMaker and Canyon readily agreed.

So this hastily assembled all-star team set off in a grand procession to find a restaurant on the streets.

Finally, they sat down at a restaurant that looked quite local.

The long wooden table was filled with players from EDG, T1, DK, MAD, and C9, creating a truly fantastical scene.

Ordering food proved to be a minor challenge, but fortunately, Perkz and Scout were able to act as temporary translators.

Everyone chattered about the menu, filled with curiosity yet wary of Icelandic delicacies like fermented shark meat and smoked puffin, ultimately opting for safer choices such as roasted lamb chops and seafood soup.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was unusually relaxed.

Without the tension on the field, the contestants showed a more authentic side.

Perkz and Jiejie seemed to hit it off immediately. They chatted in broken English and with lots of body language about the weird teammates they had encountered in ranked games. When they got excited, the whole table burst into laughter.

Armut was very interested in Su Mo's top lane playstyle and kept asking him about the details of laning for various heroes. Su Mo answered patiently and generously, which made the European top laner nod repeatedly in agreement.

Although Faker didn't talk much, he listened quietly throughout, occasionally exchanging a few words in Korean with Scout beside him about a particular game version, sharing his insights.

ShowMaker and Canyon, on the other hand, were like two little fans of Su Mo, constantly asking Su Mo how he came up with the idea of ​​"Grasp of the Undying Graves" and discussing the item choices for different game situations.

While answering questions from various "experts" and keeping everyone's spirits up, Su Mo raised his glass of juice and proposed, "To the upcoming World Championship, and to our rare gathering, cheers!" "Cheers!"

"!"

"cheers!"

Blessings in different languages ​​mingled together, and the crisp sound of clinking glasses echoed in the warm restaurant.

Outside the window, the Icelandic wind howled and the night sky deepened, while inside, these young men from all over the world, about to fight for the championship on the highest stage, were enjoying this moment of tranquility and pure joy before the storm.

After the dinner, which had a rather unusual atmosphere, everyone exchanged a few pleasantries and then said their goodbyes to Su Mo.

Although everyone still wants to communicate more, they are more concerned about what others will think.

After hesitating for a moment, Su Mo and the others decided to return to the hotel.

It's really cold outside, and it's a bit unbearable.

……

Two days later, the group stage draw results were finalized, and all teams entered their final preparation phase, with a palpable sense of tension in the air.

Su Mo also reviewed this year's competition format repeatedly.

The format of the 2021 League of Legends World Championship was clear and brutal.

The first stage is the qualifying round, where wildcard teams and some lower-seeded teams from the main tournament compete for the final four spots in the main draw.

EDG, as the LPL's number one seed, directly entered the group stage.

The 16 teams were divided into four groups of four teams each, and played a double round-robin tournament with a best-of-one format.

This means that each team will play against the other three teams in their group twice.

Ultimately, the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals to compete for the Summoner's Cup, a prize coveted by countless professional players.

EDG was placed in Group B, and when the list of opponents in the group was released, League of Legends players all over the world started to discuss it.

Group B:
EDG (LPL No. 1 seed)
T1 (LCK No. 3 seed)

100 Thieves (LCS No. 1 seed)
DetonatioN FocusMe (DFM) (Representative of the Japanese region, who fought their way through the qualifying rounds)
This grouping is full of fateful drama.

The clash between EDG, the new champions of the LPL, and T1, the legendary dynasty of the LCK, in the group stage is itself the most anticipated matchup.

The rematch between Su Mo and Faker is enough to ignite global buzz.

In the days leading up to the competition, online sentiment was already thick with anticipation and uncertainty.

Forums and social media in various competition zones have become battlegrounds for players to express their passion and opinions.

Domestically, the forums and apps of the LPL region are a sea of ​​optimism.

The comment sections on Hupu, Anti-Pressure Bar, and Bilibili are overflowing with almost blind confidence in EDG.

After all, with Su Mo on the team, EDG is basically invincible.

No matter who's on the other side, we'll defeat them with sheer force.

On Baidu Tieba, a post titled "Analysis of Group B's qualification situation? What's there to analyze?" quickly went viral.

But the comments below were quite heated:
"The original poster is overthinking it. Shouldn't we be analyzing whether EDG will advance with a perfect 6-0 record, or mercifully lose one game to practice their lineup?"

"Whether we lose or not depends on whether Brother Mozi plays. If he plays, I don't think it will be a surprise."

"With Mo making his move, the top lane is unstoppable. Winning the North American championship will be a piece of cake for him. As for T1, Faker is getting old. Can he still hold his own? This year, let's see Scout deliver a powerful blow and prove who the junior is!"

"Brothers, I've already started researching our opponents in the quarterfinals!"

"What? You mean DFM? The Japanese team? Show some respect, they've already given us a head start by guaranteeing them a spot in the round of 16, don't even try to get involved."

This optimistic, even somewhat arrogant, atmosphere stems from EDG's absolute dominance in the LPL, especially the presence of SuMo, which gives LPL viewers unprecedented confidence.

They firmly believed that with Mo, EDG was invincible, continuing the LPL's championship glory and dominating the championship seemed like a natural script.

On the other hand, the situation is quite different online and in forums in South Korea.

LCK viewers are still resentful of the defeats at last year's and this year's MSI. They yearn to reclaim the glory of being the "world's number one region," and EDG and SuMo are the biggest thorn in their side.

"Can DK exact revenge on Mo this year?"

"Don't rush, let's look at T1 first. Faker, please, you have to curb EDG's arrogance in the group stage! We can't let the LPL continue to be so overbearing!"

"To be honest, I've watched Mo's LPL match replays, and his laning pressure is terrifying. Our top laner Khan is getting old, and I don't know if he can keep up. I hope Canyon can help the top lane more."

"We must win! LCK's macro-management is something LPL can't learn. As long as we don't engage in chaotic battles and drag the game into the late game, we have a chance! ShowMaker, Canyon, Ruler, Faker... We have so many top players, this year it's our turn!"

“EDG is indeed very strong, but they are not invincible. As long as Mo can be contained, Viper's performance will be affected. I believe our LCK coaching staff can find a solution.”

"Hopefully, we can take back the world championship that EDG stole from us this year."

LCK fans are feeling very sad.

They acknowledged EDG's strength, but their inherent pride prevented them from admitting defeat.

They pinned their hopes on DK's revenge and on the legendary Faker leading T1 to create a miracle and defend the last vestige of LCK's honor.

……

Amidst this tumultuous media storm, the match day finally arrived.

Reykjavik, Iceland, sports center.

Outside the venue, a cold wind howled and the sky was overcast, creating a tense atmosphere reminiscent of the impending battle in Norse mythology.

Inside the venue, however, the lights were already on and the atmosphere was electric.

A giant LED screen surrounded the entire stage, and virtual reality (AR) technology projected elements of Summoner's Rift into the real space. As the exciting S11 theme song "Unstoppable" played, a giant AR dragon hovered above the stage, emitting a deafening roar.

After the grand opening ceremony, the opening match of the group stage officially kicked off.

The EDG players were making their final preparations in the rest room.

Holding the tactics board, Abu gave his final instructions: "Remember, we are the number one seed from the LPL, and we are here to win the championship! Don't be influenced by the hype or doubts from the outside world, just play our own game! The first match against T1 will be the best test. Defeat them and show the world who the protagonists of this year are!"

"Understood!" the crowd responded in unison, their eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.

Abu then turned to Su Mo and said, "Brother Mo, you shouldn't slack off today. After all, the opponent is SKT. How about we get a winning start?"

"Of course, I was prepared long ago." Su Mo smiled faintly. Actually, if Abu hadn't said anything, he really would have wanted to slack off. (End of Chapter)