LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

After crossing the plaza, Su Mo and his group entered the venue and went to the lounge under the guidance of the staff.

The scene was already quite lively, with pre-match warm-ups underway.

Meanwhile, the official LPL livestream room back in China had already turned into a sea of ​​excitement.

Before the competition even started, the live stream's popularity had already surpassed a staggering 500 million, and it continues to climb at an astonishing rate.

The dense barrage of bullet comments rolled down like a waterfall, completely covering the entire screen.

"It's here! I've finally waited for this day! My nitroglycerin pills are ready!"

"They're both my children! Please, let's play all five games today, let me watch a little longer!"

"The piglet and the dog won't fight today, they'll stand together against outsiders! Oh wait, there are no outsiders today, let's fight first and then argue!"

"Is Mozi playing today? Give me a straight answer! If he doesn't play, I feel RNG still has a chance!"

"The person upstairs is overthinking it. In a life-or-death situation like this, how could Brother Mozi possibly slack off? If he dares to step up, Abu will break his legs!"

"The invincible RNG, the god of domestic battles, versus the god of both domestic and international battles, EDG, one of them will surely be broken today!"

"There's no suspense, EDG will definitely win."

In the commentary booth, Miller, Wawa, and Guan Zeyuan, three of LPL's top commentators, were already sitting upright.

They were dressed in sharp suits, their expressions a mixture of excitement for the competition and an undeniable sense of solemnity.

"Hello everyone, welcome to the quarterfinals of the 2021 League of Legends World Championship!" Miller's voice was as loud as ever. "Today, we will witness a highly anticipated match that will also leave countless LPL fans with mixed feelings—our LPL's number one seed EDG versus our LPL's number three seed RNG!"

“Yes,” Wawa took a deep breath and continued, “I believe all the viewers feel the same way we do right now. We are proud that both teams made it to the quarterfinals, but we also feel sorry that they have to meet here so early. But that’s the cruelty and charm of esports. Today, there are no losers; they are all heroes of our LPL. All we can do is give them the warmest applause and look forward to them bringing us a spectacular match that will go down in history!”

Guan Zeyuan analyzed the situation from a tactical perspective: "Judging from their performance in the group stage, EDG is undoubtedly the more favored team, with their 6-0 undefeated record demonstrating terrifying dominance. RNG, on the other hand, regained their form in the second round of the group stage, showcasing their resilience as a veteran powerhouse. The key to this BO5 lies in whether RNG can contain Mo, who is almost unstoppable, and whether their mid and jungle can set the pace in the early game to counter EDG's watertight operational system."

Amidst the eloquent analysis of the commentators, the lights suddenly dimmed, and a stirring battle song resounded throughout the entire venue!

The giant AR dragon once again hovered above the stage, letting out a deafening roar.

"Let's give a warm round of applause to one of today's stars—Royal Never Give Up! RNG!"

Amid the host's shouts, the five RNG players slowly walked out from one side of the player tunnel.

Xiao Hu walked at the front, his face no longer showing the ease of the previous night, but instead a solemn expression.

Gala, Wei, Ming, and Cryin followed closely behind, each with eyes like sharp blades about to be drawn, filled with fighting spirit.

"Next, let's welcome the champions of Group B, the number one seed from the LPL—EDWARD GAMING! EDG!"

On the other side of the stage, the EDG team members made their appearance amidst great anticipation.

The five people sat down in their respective seats and began to adjust the equipment.

On the huge main screen, close-up shots of the key players from both teams were shown.

On RNG's side, Gala was pursing his lips, testing the mouse's DPI.

On EDG's side, the camera unsurprisingly focused on Su Mo, who simply put on his headphones calmly. The whole world instantly fell silent, leaving only the clear game sound effects and the breathing of his teammates.

With the referee's signal, both players finished setting up their equipment, and the huge screen instantly switched to that heart-pounding interface.

The match has officially entered the ban/pick phase!

"Alright, viewers! The first game of the highly anticipated quarterfinals, the draft phase has officially begun!" Miller's speech quickened instantly. "As the team with the higher draft position, EDG has the first choice of side in this game, and they have chosen the blue side!"

"EDG on the blue side banned Twisted Fate in the first pick!" Wawa said. "Very decisive! Directly targeting Cryin's roaming strategy!"

"RNG on the red side, their first ban/pick is... Irelia!" Miller's voice carried a hint of "I knew it," "There's no way around it, Mozi's Irelia has left too deep an impression on all the teams!"

"EDG banned Jayce as their second pick. Jayce is a very flexible champion with a strong laning phase, and EDG didn't want Xiaohu to get him."

"RNG's second ban... went to Heimerdinger!" Guan Zeyuan laughed when he saw the champion. "It seems that the 'black technology' that EDG used in the LPL finals really served as a wake-up call for all opponents. It's better to waste a ban slot than to let it through!"

"EDG's third pick is to ban LeBlanc! Again, targeting the mid lane! EDG's intention is very clear: to keep Cryin pinned down in the mid lane and prevent him from moving!"

"And RNG's last ban was Camille! Three bans on top lane! They're clearly trying to limit Mo's champion pool as much as possible with their bans today!"

"First round of bans and picks is over! Blue side EDG gets the first pick!" Miller's voice suddenly rose, "What will they pick? Is it the meta pick, Miss Fortune?"

The hero icons flashed rapidly, and in the end, EDG did not hesitate and directly locked in the hero that was either banned or picked in this World Championship!

"Bounty Hunter! EDG takes Miss Fortune! First, they'll pick the most stable and powerful teamfight damage dealer for Viper!"

"It's RNG's turn to make their first and second picks," Wawa stared intently at the screen. "How will they respond? They've locked in Jarvan IV and Leona! A jungle-support duo with extremely strong initiation capabilities! Wei and Ming's signature champions!"

"A very classic RNG-style pick!" Guan Zeyuan analyzed. "They're going to use a strong early-to-mid-game initiation strategy to counter EDG's macro play! So how will EDG counter this?"

EDG quickly chose their second and third floors.

"Xin Zhao and the River King!" Miller shouted. "Xin Zhao versus Jarvan IV! A clash of titans! Jiejie has picked his most confident champion! And Tahm Kench is positioned here to perfectly protect Viper's Miss Fortune, rendering RNG's aggressive engage strategy ineffective!"

"The first round of selection is over, now it's time for the second round of banning! RNG on the red side bans first, banning Orianna to continue targeting Scout's champion pool."

"EDG, the blue side, retaliated by banning Galio! Cryin's other signature support champion is also gone!"

"RNG's last ban was for Syndra! Completely shutting down Scout's traditional mage picks!"

"EDG's last pick was to ban Yone! This is a champion that can be played in both top and mid lanes, and EDG didn't want to leave any room for change for RNG!"

"Both sides have used up all ten bans! Now, RNG on the red side will pick their third champion!"

Without much hesitation, RNG locked in one of Gala's signature champions.

"The chilling moon! It's Aphelios!" the doll exclaimed. "With Miss Fortune being picked, Aphelios is Gala's strongest pick for taking over the game in the late game!"

"It's EDG's fourth pick, the mid laner. With Orianna and Syndra banned, what will Scout take?"

An elegant figure appeared on the screen.

"The Messenger of Sorrow!" Miller exclaimed. "It's Vigus! Scout has picked this new champion! Her fear effect is a great counter to RNG's multi-dive composition!" "Red side, fourth pick, RNG's mid laner pick... Rune Mage! Cryin finally got Ryze! Looks like EDG didn't ban enough!"

"Now, the pressure is on the top lanes of both sides!" Guan Zeyuan's voice became extremely solemn. "EDG's fifth pick, Mo's counter pick! And RNG's fifth pick, Xiaohu's final choice!"

All eyes were on the last selection box for the blue team.

The hero's portrait flashed rapidly, and everyone held their breath.

Finally, the image freezes!

A flash of lightning appeared, and a figure wielding an electric shuriken appeared in the center of the screen!

"The Heart of the Storm!! It's Kennen!!" Miller's voice was almost a roar, "Mo picked Kennen! This pick is crucial! He's the ultimate counter to RNG's aggressive engage composition! A perfect ultimate is enough to destroy the world!"

"That's right! Now it's RNG's last pick. What champion will Xiaohu use to face Mo's Kennen?"

The atmosphere in RNG's team voice chat was heavy.

"Let's pick Graves," Xiaohu took a deep breath and made his decision, "It'll be a little more comfortable in lane."

In the end, RNG locked in Graves, the outlaw, on the fifth floor.

With the final lineups for both sides confirmed, the atmosphere at the scene was completely ignited!

Blue side EDG:

Top Lane: Kennen, the Heart of the Tempest
Jungler: Xin Zhao, the Grand Marshal of Demacia
Mid Lane: Vigus, the Messenger of Sorrow

Marksman: Miss Fortune the Bounty Hunter
Support: Tahm Kench, the River King
RNG (Red Team):

Top Lane: Graves (Xiaohu)
Jungler: Jarvan IV, the Prince of Demacia (Wei)
Mid Lane: Ryze, the Rune Mage (Cryin)
Archer: Aphelios, the Recluse of the Crescent Moon (Gala)
Support: Leona (Ming)
"The lineups for both sides are finalized!" Miller concluded. "An ultimate showdown between offense and defense! EDG has brought out a near-perfect defensive counter-attack lineup. The double protection of Tahm Kench and Vigus minimizes RNG's aggressive engage threat, while Mo's Kennen is the sharpest sword of Damocles hanging over RNG's head!"

"On the other hand, RNG stuck to their most familiar playstyle: Jarvan IV, Leona, and Ryze, working together to break through EDG's defenses with the most aggressive attacks! The key to this match lies in whether RNG's offense can find that fleeting opening before EDG's defense is fully formed!"

In the official LPL live stream, the refresh rate of the chat reached a new peak.

"Holy crap! Kennen! Mozi picked Kennen! How is Xiaohu supposed to play now?"

"Perfect draft! EDG's Viggoth and Tahm Kench pick is practically a death sentence for Jarvan IV and Leona! Try flying in here and see what happens!"

"RNG's lineup is really strong! Ryze and Jarvan IV, a classic mid-jungle engine. Let's see if Wei can find an opportunity!"

"Please stop... Brother Guan, please stop! My heart sank after you mentioned RNG's spear!"

"Can RNG's spear find a weakness?" Guan Zeyuan certified: RNG's win rate in this game is -50%!

"Haha, science can't beat metaphysics, EDG has already won half the battle!"

"..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Welcome to Summoner's Rift!

Amidst the discussion, the system's clear female voice rang out, officially kicking off this internal war that carried the complex emotions of countless fans throughout the LPL region!

"The match has begun!" Miller's voice suddenly rose. "We can see that neither side has chosen the conventional lane positioning! RNG's five players grouped up and directly invaded EDG's lower jungle! They're going to fight at level one! This is their most familiar rhythm!"

However, EDG's response was equally flawless!

"Meiko placed a ward with a trinket at the entrance of the river bush as soon as he left the game!" Wawa spoke very quickly. "This ward placement is crucial! EDG saw through RNG's invasion intentions perfectly!"

In EDG's team voice chat, Meiko's voice remained calm: "They're here, five of them, don't panic. We'll retreat immediately and not engage in a level 1 team fight. Jiejie, you go directly to their top side of the map, we'll trade jungle camps."

"Understood." Jiejie's Xin Zhao immediately changed direction and headed straight for RNG's empty upper jungle.

"RNG missed their target!" Miller exclaimed as he watched RNG's five players rush into the empty jungle. "EDG's discipline is too strong! They know very well that their lineup's power spike is not at level one, so they chose the safest option: a resource exchange! Although RNG's invasion disrupted EDG's jungle clearing strategy, they also wasted a lot of time and did not gain any real advantage."

The initial team fight ended peacefully with both sides exchanging jungle camps.

The real showdown will only begin when the heroes from both sides finally meet online.

In the top lane, Su Mo's Kennen faced off against Xiao Hu's Graves.

"Kennen vs. Graves is a laning matchup that really tests your fundamentals," Guan Zeyuan analyzed. "Kennen has a long range and can constantly harass with his auto-attacks, while Graves has stronger wave clear and burst damage."

Su Mo's face remained expressionless.

Instead of rushing to suppress the enemy, he calmly controlled the minion wave, using the length of his Q to constantly find the right angle.

Whenever Xiaohu's Graves went forward to clear the wave, Su Mo would always seize that fleeting opportunity to hit him with a Q, and then immediately retreat, not giving Graves a chance to fight back.

Xiao Hu felt a little unwell.

If he wants to push the lane, he must enter Kennen's attack range;
He tried to fight back, but Kennan's arms were longer than his, so he couldn't hit him.

This gradual, insidious depletion of his health gradually and imperceptibly reduced his health.

In the jungle, the routes taken by the two junglers were also clearly distinct.

In the online game, perhaps because it was the first match, everyone was quite cautious, and no kills occurred.

Three minutes later, both junglers reached level three almost simultaneously.

Wei's Prince didn't hesitate at all, and went straight to the bush on the side of the mid lane, ready to take action against Scout who was pushing the lane!

"Wei is here! RNG's engine is firing! He's going to make a move on the mid lane!"

However, Scout's Vigus seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. Just as the prince was about to step out of the bush, he perfectly pulled back a step and placed a trinket ward at the entrance of the bush, seeing Wei's movements clearly.

"I saw it! Scout's instincts are amazing!" Wawa exclaimed. "RNG's most crucial mid-jungle synergy was easily neutralized by Scout's awareness!"

Wei's gank failed, while Jiejie's Xin Zhao took the opportunity to quietly arrive at the top lane river... (End of this chapter)