LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

With the smoke of the civil war clearing, the EDG team members were given a precious day of rest.

The next day, the sky over Reykjavik remained overcast, and fine snowflakes fell silently.

The EDG players did not go out. After having breakfast, they spontaneously gathered in the hotel's tactical analysis room.

On the giant electronic screen, another quarter-final match is about to be broadcast live—DK versus the European lion MAD.

"You're all here." Abu walked in carrying a cup of hot coffee, followed by the factory manager. "Perfect, let's be spectators today and study our potential opponents in the semifinals."

Jiejie was the first to exclaim: "Does this even need research? It's definitely DK! MAD's artists' tactics would probably be riddled with holes by DK's watertight operations."

Meiko shook her head: "You can't say that. MAD may be inconsistent in BO1, but in BO5, they have enough time to adjust their tactics and come up with something we don't expect. Their coaching staff has a lot of tricks up their sleeve."

Su Mo leaned back leisurely in his chair, holding a cup of yogurt provided by the hotel. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "It's good to have clever ideas, but I'm afraid they won't have a chance to use them."

As everyone was discussing, the screen showed that the match had entered the draft phase.

The clash between DK and MAD, hailed as the "ultimate in operational skill" and the "fantasy of art," has been full of highlights from the very beginning.

The first game started promptly at 2 PM.

"It's starting!" Jiejie sat up straight instantly. "Let's see what MAD is up to!"

As expected, MAD, on the blue side, immediately locked in a top lane champion for their top laner Armut—the Darkin Blade.

"Aatrox?" Clearlove stroked his chin. "Aatrox isn't a high priority in this patch. It seems MAD is trying to use his early laning strength to break through Khan's defenses."

DK remained unmoved and selected an extremely solid lineup: Graves in the top lane, Xin Zhao in the jungle, Syndra in the mid lane, and Ziggs and Lulu in the bottom lane.

As the match began, MAD lived up to their "can't stand not fighting" style.

Elyoya's Jarvan IV ganked top lane at level 3 and, with Armut's Aatrox, successfully killed Khan's Graves, securing First Blood.

"They're playing so aggressively!" Jiejie's eyes lit up. "MAD is determined to break through from the top lane!"

For the next ten minutes, the match descended into the chaotic rhythm that MAD loves most.

Small-scale skirmishes frequently broke out between the two sides in the upper half of the river, with kills alternating but the economy never really widened.

“That’s MAD,” Abu said, looking at the screen with a slight frown. “They’re trying to disrupt your operations by constantly fighting, making you follow their lead.”

However, Su Mo shook his head: "It's useless. MAD looks like they're having a lot of fun, but all their attacks are just point-to-point firefights, without any coordination. Look at the minimap, DK's bot lane duo hasn't been affected at all from start to finish, and ShowMaker's Syndra has been consistently outfarming the enemy mid laner. DK is just using the top half of the map to maneuver against them, while their core farmers are steadily growing."

As Su Mo said, the turning point of the game occurred in the Rift Herald team fight at the fourteen-minute mark.

MAD's five members have assembled, aiming to secure this crucial map resource.

But just as they were about to engage the Rift Herald, Canyon's Xin Zhao, like a ghost, dashed in from a blind spot with his E skill and landed a precise Smite, stealing the Rift Herald right in front of all five MAD players!

"I got it! Canyon!" Jiejie couldn't help but exclaim.

After securing the Vanguard, ShowMaker's Syndra stunned two players with a QE combo, and the entire DK team launched a counterattack. The perfectly formed DK team instantly routed MAD.

In the end, DK pulled off a perfect 4-for-1 team fight, completely seizing control of the game.

“It’s over.” Su Mo calmly put down the yogurt cup. “The rhythm has broken. Now comes DK’s favorite suffocating moment.”

As expected, DK, having gained the advantage, gave MAD no chance. They used the Rift Herald to push down the mid tower, constantly eroding jungle resources, and filling MAD's half of the map with vision, causing the economic gap to snowball.

At 26 minutes, DK secured Baron Nashor without any doubt, pushed forward, and ended the game.

“DK… is still as strong as ever.” Jiejie clicked her tongue. “Their discipline and control over map resources are truly terrifying.”

"The mid-jungle duo of ShowMaker and Canyon remains one of the strongest on this planet," Abu concluded, his expression grave.

The second game started quickly.

After losing the first game, MAD came up with a more "artistic" lineup in the draft, choosing a combination of Yasuo in the mid lane and Diana in the jungle, attempting to break through DK's defenses with a strong mid-jungle synergy.

However, DK's response was textbook perfect.

They countered by picking Lissandra in the mid lane and Lee Sin in the jungle, perfectly countering Yasuo and Diana's engage.

The match itself was rather lackluster.

Every attack by MAD felt like hitting a brick wall.

Canyon's Lee Sin maintained a lightning-fast pace throughout the game, while ShowMaker's Lissandra showcased exceptional roaming and support abilities.

DK established a comprehensive advantage from the laning phase, almost like a tutorial match.

Within twenty minutes, the economic lead had already exceeded 10,000.

Ultimately, the match ended after 23 minutes.

DK won another game, taking the match point.

The second game was won much more easily than the first.

The EDG team looked rather somber after seeing this.

If the first game was a back-and-forth affair for MAD, then the second game was a complete and utter stomp.

"Where exactly is their weakness?" Scout muttered to himself, staring at the screen.

“They don’t have any major weaknesses.” Su Mo’s voice rang out, drawing everyone’s attention. “At least for now, this DK team is close to perfect in terms of operation and decision-making. To beat them, we can’t expect them to make mistakes; we can only be stronger than them and crush them with absolute power.”

These words sent a chill down everyone's spine.

On the screen, the third game quickly began.

MAD, whose mentality had already become unbalanced, chose a gambling lineup, with all three lanes consisting of heroes that needed to establish an early advantage.

However, DK remained as stable as ever.

They chose a lineup with stronger late-game capabilities, avoiding MAD's early game strength, and smoothly passed the laning phase by swapping lanes and exchanging resources.

As the game progressed into the mid-game, DK, with its superior lineup strength and impeccable teamfight positioning, gradually began to take control of the situation.

MAD's players completely lost their composure after repeated team fight defeats.

At 28 minutes, DK seized an opportunity in the jungle, killed two MAD players, and easily secured Baron Nashor.

In the end, DK swept MAD with an absolute advantage of 3:0, advancing strongly to the semifinals.

When the match ended and the words "DK wins" appeared on the screen, EDG's strategy analysis room fell silent.

Jiejie stopped making a fuss, Scout frowned, and even the usually composed Meiko had a serious expression on her face.

The dominance displayed by DK, that calm, efficient, and flawless power, sent a chill down the spines of every spectator.

"Alright, everyone, stop looking so downcast," Abu broke the silence. "The result was as expected. Starting tomorrow, all our training and tactics will revolve around DK. They are strong, but not invincible. After all, we are not weak either, and besides, we have Mozi."

The factory manager nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right. RNG has given us a wake-up call. Sometimes, the most extreme offense is the best defense. Playing macro-management against DK doesn't offer much of a chance of winning. We must find our own way to deliver a fatal blow." The discussion was intense, with everyone sharing their understanding of the game, searching for a way to defeat the defending champions through the clash of ideas.

Su Mo, however, did not say another word from beginning to end.

He simply watched quietly as the DK players celebrated their victory on the screen, his gaze sweeping over ShowMaker and Canyon's faces.

Finally, he stood up, stretched, and walked towards the door amidst the puzzled looks of the crowd.

"I'm going to play some games to get back into the swing of things."

He left those words behind and disappeared through the doorway.

The group exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of speechlessness in the other's eyes.

After all, everyone knows that when Su Mo said he was "finding his touch," he definitely wasn't playing League of Legends; he was definitely playing some other game...

The factory manager stood at the door for a while, listening to the still heated discussion in the tactical analysis room, and shook his head helplessly.

He turned around and walked towards the area where the team members were resting, arriving at Su Mo's room door with practiced ease.

He didn't knock, he just gently turned the doorknob.

Sure enough, the familiar sound effects of League of Legends didn't come from the room. Instead, there was a burst of fast-paced, retro electronic music, and pixelated bullets and monsters flying all over the screen.

Su Mo was wearing headphones, intently controlling a pixelated character, frantically maneuvering through an endless sea of ​​monsters, with various upgrade and treasure chest notifications constantly popping up on the screen.

It's the single-player game on Steam known for its "psychic time chamber"—Vampire Survivor.

The factory manager walked up behind him, watched the dazzling display for a while, and finally couldn't help but speak up, complaining, "Is this what you call finding the feel for the work?"

Su Mo didn't even turn around, but simply hummed in agreement: "Finding the feel, isn't it just about finding that feeling of taking the enemy general's head amidst a thousand troops? Look, isn't this pretty similar?"

The factory manager was speechless for a long time after being choked by his fallacies and heresies, and his mouth twitched.

He pointed to the character on the screen, who was almost unrecognizable due to being surrounded by various halos, throwing knives, Bibles, and garlic, and said, "What...what does this have to do with fighting the Death Knight?"

"How can it be okay?" Su Mo paused the game, finally turned around, and explained, "Look, DK's strategy is like this endless monster tide, wave after wave, making it hard for you to breathe. And I, like now, will find the most crucial equipment in their encirclement, then develop myself, and finally wipe them all out."

"..." The factory manager was completely speechless. He decided to give up trying to reason with this guy with such a bizarre way of thinking.

He pulled up a chair and sat down, saying, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Seriously, what do you think about fighting DK, Mozi?"

Su Mo exited the game, leaned back in his gaming chair, and put his hands behind his head.

“What else can I say?” he said casually. “I can beat anyone. Their mid and jungle are strong, and their macro play is indeed flawless, but in the end, this game is all about who has the stronger fist. As long as I dominate Khan in the top lane, Canyon will have to come and deal with me. Once he comes, Jiejie will have a chance, right? No matter how good ShowMaker is, a mid laner without jungle support can’t turn the tide.”

"If all else fails, I can just go to the mid lane and I don't think Showmaker can beat me!"

These words were spoken casually, yet they were full of confidence.

The factory manager looked at him and smiled.

He knew that Su Mo never boasted; if he said he could break through, then he definitely could.

This almost unreasonable confidence is precisely the sharpest weapon of EDG today.

Sometimes, he would get angrier and angrier the more he thought about it. He hadn't even played a match yet, and Su Mo was still as good as he was in his prime. Who could he complain to?

"Okay, I'm relieved to hear that." The factory manager stood up. "Then keep working on getting a feel for it, but don't stay up too late."

"understood."

……

In the following days, EDG entered the most rigorous and demanding preparation week since the start of the World Championship.

The team's schedule was meticulously planned down to the minute, and the lights in the tactical analysis room stayed on almost all night.

Abu and the coaching staff led by the factory manager analyzed every frame of DK's match recordings in this World Championship.

From Canyon's jungle route and ganking habits in the first ten minutes, to ShowMaker's laning details and roaming timings with different heroes, and Khan's hero pool depth and team fight positioning... every detail was recorded and compiled into a thick analysis report.

The intensity of the training matches was also increased to the highest level.

Although everyone was less worried because of Su Mo's trump card, they still had to do their jobs well.

EDG invited all the top eight teams they could to participate in high-intensity secret training sessions.

In this oppressive and tense atmosphere, time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the battle drums of the semi-finals were about to sound.

The four teams that will advance to the finals of the 2021 League of Legends World Championship have all been determined.

What's puzzling is that, apart from EDG, the other three teams are all from LCK.

Upper bracket: GEN.G vs T1.

An internal battle within the LCK region.

Bottom bracket: EDG vs DK.

The ultimate showdown between the number one seeds of LPL and LCK.

This match was widely regarded by players worldwide as a preview of the finals of this year's World Championship.

Even before the competition began, online forums in major regions around the world were already buzzing with anticipation and tension.

Domestically, Hupu, Tieba, and Bilibili are filled with a complex mix of nervousness and extreme confidence.

A post titled "【Preview of the Final Battle】Can Mozi defeat DK?" garnered tens of thousands of replies in just a few hours.

"Brothers, I can't breathe! This is absolutely the most exciting semi-final in the history of the World Championship!"

"What are you afraid of? We have Brother Mozi! Forget about your strategy or mid-jungle synergy, I, Mozi, will just clear the top lane and smash all the way to your crystal!"

"Don't be too optimistic, upstairs. DK is really different; their suffocating presence is too strong. Last game against MAD was a complete annihilation. The key to this game is whether Jiejie can withstand Canyon's pressure."

"Believe in EDG! Believe in Mozi! This year is the most promising year for the LPL! We will be champions again!"

Meanwhile, on the South Korean Inven forum, a chilling atmosphere of revenge prevailed.

"Mo is indeed very strong, but League of Legends is a five-player game. I don't believe he can defeat our DK by himself."

"ShowMaker, Canyon, please! You have to win! For the glory of LCK, beat that arrogant guy to tears!"

"Khan will be under a lot of pressure, hopefully he can hold on. As long as he doesn't get solo killed in lane, we have a very good chance of winning in team fights and in terms of macro play."

"The finals must be an LCK internal battle! We are the world's number one region!"

In addition to the heated discussions among fans, professional commentators and esports bloggers from all over the world have also offered their own analyses.

The match hasn't even started yet, but thanks to the official guidance, it's already generating a lot of buzz. (End of Chapter)