LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

The entire RNG team displayed incredible pressure!
"RNG is all in! They know this is their last chance!" Miller commented. "From the laning phase onwards, they've been relentlessly attacking EDG's defense with their sharpest spear!"

In the top lane, Xiaohu's Renekton was like a madman, abandoning the strategy of controlling the lane. Every time his skills were off cooldown, he would use a merciless combo to whittle down Flandre's Ornn's health.

Although Flandre managed to hold on thanks to Ornn's tankiness, his health was still being suppressed and he was in a very difficult position.

In the mid lane, Cryin's Galio took the support role to the extreme.

He pushed the minion wave under the tower, and whenever there was an opening, he would immediately disappear from the lane, putting immense pressure on the side lanes.

Meanwhile, in the bottom lane, Gala and Ming's Luna combination displayed terrifying laning strength.

Viper's Aphelios and Meiko's Thresh were forced to cower under their towers, their plating being eroded layer by layer.

"Wei's here! He's going to make a move on top lane!" Wawa's eyes were fixed on the top lane. "Xiaohu's Renekton has reached level six, and the minion wave has pushed under the tower! Flandre is in danger!"

Before the words were even finished, Xiaohu's Renekton activated his ultimate, and his red-rage W instantly stunned Ornn under the tower! Wei's Blade of the Ruined King suddenly appeared from the bush behind him, and followed up with a smooth combo!

Although Flandre used Flash, he was still tower-dived and killed by two people!

"First Blood!"

First blood, taken by Xiaohu's crocodile!
RNG's fan section erupted in a deafening roar of cheers, as their pent-up emotions from the previous two games were finally released!
Inside EDG's rest room, Abu and Clearlove's expressions became extremely solemn.

"This is troublesome," the factory manager said in a deep voice. "RNG is playing a reckless style, trying to overwhelm us with their early game tempo."

Su Mo remained calmly watching the screen and said lightly, "It's not time yet. As long as the mid and bot lanes can stabilize their development, we'll still have a fighting chance once Ornn and Viktor get their items. Now, it all depends on Jiejie."

However, RNG's offensive was like a storm, with one wave following another.

Eight minutes in, RNG's top, mid, and jungle players coordinated a tower dive and killed Flandre once again.

Ten minutes later, RNG secured the Rift Herald and placed it directly in the bottom lane. Together with Luna, they forcefully pushed down EDG's bottom lane tower.

Fifteen minutes in, RNG had a nearly 4,000 gold lead and held two dragons.

The situation is already precarious for EDG.

The comments in the live stream were now completely polarized.

[RNG! RNG! Never give up! Kill them all! Avenge the humiliation of the first two games!]

Is this the LPL's internal powerhouse? They're insane! EDG was completely overwhelmed!

Did EDG make a mistake in their draft? Choosing such a late-game composition is practically giving RNG an opening, isn't it?

[Brother Mozi, I'm begging you, please play in the next game! If you keep letting us play like this, we're really going to have to go home!]

Don't panic! Trust EDG, they also came back from a huge deficit in the last game! We are the champions!

RNG completely controlled the pace of the game.

They kept banding together to invade, squeezing out EDG's development space.

Although EDG was repeatedly defeated, they managed to protect their vitals and prevent the economic gap from widening to an irreversible level.

The turning point of the match occurred in the Dragon Soul team fight at the 24-minute mark.

RNG has three dragons in hand. If they can take down this water dragon, they will obtain the crucial dragon soul.

They occupied the advantageous terrain of the Dragon Pit and initiated the attack.

EDG had no choice but to bite the bullet and come to meet the team.

"RNG is going for the Dragon Soul! EDG has to stop them!" Miller's voice was filled with tension. "This is a team fight that will decide the outcome of this game!"

Just as RNG was about to secure the dragon, Meiko's Thresh, from a blind spot, used a seemingly out-of-vision Q skill to precisely hook Gala, who was dealing damage at the edge of the dragon pit!

"She hooked it! Meiko hooked Gala!"

Wei's Ruined King immediately turned around to protect him, but Jiejie's Troll blocked his position with a pillar!

Scout's Viktor seized this critical opportunity, placing a W [Gravity Field] under Gala's feet, followed by an instant burst of Death Ray and Q skill!
Gala didn't even have time to use her healing ability before her health bar evaporated instantly!

RNG's core damage dealer was instantly killed by EDG!

"Gala got instantly killed!! RNG is in big trouble!!" Wawa shouted excitedly.

Without their ADC, RNG suffered a crushing defeat in team fights.

Xiaohu's crocodile charged desperately into the back row, but was tightly entangled by Flandre's Ornn.

Cryin's Galio ultimate only served to divide the battlefield.

Ultimately, EDG achieved a perfect team fight, trading 1 for 4, at the cost of their support player's death!
After winning the team fight, EDG took the Baron and wiped out their early economic disadvantage!
The situation has once again taken a stunning turn!

The atmosphere at RNG's booth was frozen solid.

Xiao Hu leaned back weakly in his chair, his eyes filled with disbelief.

It's hard for everyone to accept that they could lose like this.

The rest of the match fell into EDG's most familiar rhythm.

With the Baron buff, EDG began to showcase their breathtaking operational capabilities.

RNG was forced into a series of defeats, with all three of their high ground towers in imminent danger.

At 32 minutes, EDG's five players gathered and, with a huge minion wave advantage, stepped onto RNG's high ground.

Despite RNG's desperate resistance, their efforts seemed utterly futile against EDG's late-game composition.

EDG played steadily, first breaking through one lane's high ground, then retreating to replenish supplies, and then pushing another lane.

Finally, at the 35-minute mark, EDG destroyed all three of RNG's inhibitor turrets.

With the crisp and loud explosion of the main crystal, this thrilling best-of-five series finally came to an end.

【VICTORY】

3: 0!

EDG defeated RNG with a clean and decisive score, successfully advancing to the semifinals!
As the victory emblem lit up, the EDG players breathed a sigh of relief, took off their headphones, and hugged each other in celebration. Flandre was particularly moved, his eyes welling up with tears; this best-of-five series was a perfect opportunity for him to prove himself.

On the other side of the stage, the RNG players could no longer contain their emotions.

Gala buried her face deeply in her arms, her shoulders trembling slightly.

He knew he had to take the blame for this.

If it weren't for that mistake by the Dragon Soul team, the outcome wouldn't have been like this.

They tried their best, but still couldn't cross the mountain.

"Let's congratulate EDG!" Miller's voice was slightly hoarse. "They proved themselves worthy of the LPL's number one seed with three victories of vastly different styles! At the same time, let's also give a round of applause to RNG; their never-give-up spirit deserves our utmost respect! Today, there are no losers!"

The handshake.

Saint Gun walked up to Little Tiger and gave him a tight hug.

Xiao Hu smiled and whispered, "You guys... bring the championship back."

Saint Gun nodded solemnly: "Definitely."

At this moment, all grudges, resentment, and regrets vanished.

The victor will carry the dreams of the loser and continue on their journey.

This is the legacy of the LPL.

After the handshake ended, the RNG players slowly stood up, tidied their peripherals, and walked into the passage leading backstage without looking back, leaving all the glory and regret behind.

The stage now belongs entirely to the victors, EDG.

"Congratulations to EDG! They've successfully advanced to the semifinals of the 2021 League of Legends World Championship!" the host's voice rang out excitedly. "Next, let's announce the MVP of this best-of-five series!"

On the giant screen, highlights of the match began to play.

From Mo's devastating Kennen ultimate in the first game, to Flandre's game-changing Gragas E-Flash ultimate in the second game, and Meiko's miraculous hook that sealed the victory in the third game... every scene drew gasps from the audience.

Finally, the image freezes!

An image of Thresh, the Chain Warden wielding a scythe and a lantern, appears in the center of the screen!

MVP – EDG.Meiko!

"The MVP goes to EDG's captain and support player, Meiko!" Miller's voice was full of praise. "Well deserved! Whether it was the perfect protection he provided with Tahm Kench in the first game or that priceless hook he landed on Thresh in the third game, Meiko's perfect performance perfectly demonstrated what it means to be the team's anchor!"

Surrounded by her teammates, Meiko walked somewhat shyly to the center of the stage and accepted the weighty MVP trophy from the presenter.

Next came the highly anticipated post-match interview segment.

The host was still the familiar and beautiful Sjokz, and among those being interviewed, besides the MVP Meiko, was another figure—Su Mo.

"First of all, congratulations to EDG for winning this tough BO5 and successfully advancing to the semifinals!" Sjokz handed the microphone to Meiko, "Meiko, as the FMVP of this match, how are you feeling right now?"

Meiko took a deep breath, a smile on his face: "I'm very excited and very happy. RNG is a very strong opponent, they gave us a lot of trouble, and winning the game is the result of our team's joint efforts. This FMVP belongs to every one of us in EDG."

"In the third game's Dragon Soul team fight, you were at a huge disadvantage. What made you make such a decisive decision to hook the enemy's core carry, Gala?" Sjokz continued to ask.

“The situation was very urgent, and we knew it was our last chance,” Meiko recalled. “I just… did everything I could to look for an opportunity, and luckily, I seized it. I also want to thank my teammates, whose follow-up damage and control were perfectly coordinated.”

After a brief interview with Meiko, Sjokz turned his attention to the boy who had remained calm throughout, instantly pushing the atmosphere to another climax.

"Mo," Sjokz said, a hint of curiosity in his eyes, "we noticed that in this crucial quarterfinal match, even with your team leading, you still didn't choose to play, instead letting your teammate Flandre finish the last match. Viewers worldwide are very curious about this. Could you share your thoughts on that?"

This question is also a question in everyone's mind.

Su Mo took the microphone and said, "I don't have any particular thoughts. First of all, I believe in my teammates. Flandre is in great form and he has the ability to end this game, and that has been proven by the facts. EDG's strength has never relied on just one person."

He paused and changed the subject:
"Secondly, I also want our opponents, and those we may encounter in the future, to see that EDG's tactical reserves are far more than everyone imagines. I am just one member of EDG, but our entire portfolio is unfathomable."

These words, translated, were transmitted throughout the venue and reached the ears of viewers around the world watching the live broadcast.

Powerful! Confident!
Yet it's something that leaves no room for argument!

[Wow! Mozi's words are so pretentious! But I love them!]

[Translation: I don't need to play; my teammates can crush you all.]

[That's like killing someone by attacking their spirit! RNG would probably be furious if they heard that.]

Sjokz was momentarily stunned by this answer, then smiled and continued, "So what are your expectations for the upcoming semi-finals? Is there any opponent you particularly want to face?"

“There’s no particular opponent we want to face,” Su Mo shook his head. “Because we only have one goal, and that is the final championship trophy. So, whoever stands in front of us, we will defeat them. For us, every opponent is the same.”

At the end of the interview, Sjokz asked Su Mo to say a few words to all the fans who support EDG and LPL.

Su Mo was silent for a moment. He looked at the black, gold, and pure white support signs below the stage and said:
"Thank you for everyone's support. I know this match has been heartbreaking for many LPL fans. But please believe that we will shoulder RNG's burden together. We will defend the glory of the LPL. We will bring that championship back to China."

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted in the audience!
After the interview, Chen Lie and Meiko bowed deeply to the audience once again, and then, guided by staff, walked off the stage that belonged to the victors.

Back in the break room, they found it in a state of jubilation. Although Abu and the factory manager had smiles on their faces, they quickly brought the situation under control.

"Alright, alright! Enough with the celebration!" Abu clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Don't get too excited yet, our World Championship journey is only halfway through. Go back and get some rest and a good meal today. We need to prepare for our next opponent."

"Coach," Scout asked while tidying up his peripherals, "who do you think our opponent will be in the semifinals?"

The factory manager continued, "Next up is DK vs. MAD. Judging from their raw strength and group stage performance, DK has a much better chance of winning. They are the strongest obstacle on our road to defending our title, and we must be fully prepared."

The relaxed expressions on the team members' faces faded slightly, replaced by seriousness and eagerness.

Defeating the powerful RNG is certainly cause for celebration, but everyone knows that DK stands in the way of an even more formidable peak.

……

Back at the hotel, it was already evening.

After everyone went out for a late-night snack, the coaching staff gathered in the room of the factory manager and Abu to review DK's recent match videos.

As for DK's match, it's tomorrow. (End of Chapter)