LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

The first round of selection has ended; the second round of nominations has begun!
The red team's DK made the first move, banning Irelia the Blade Dancer without hesitation!
"It's Irelia again!" Commentator Wawa's voice instantly rose. "They'd rather let Syndra through than let Mozi's champion pool get blocked! Three bans on top laners! This is the treatment the world's best top laner gets, no mercy!"

EDG, on the blue side, immediately retaliated by banning Lucian, the Purifier.

This hero's flexibility is too outstanding, and EDG is unwilling to leave DK any room for tactical changes.

DK's final ban was on Syndra—completely eliminating Scout's possibility of playing a traditional mage.

EDG's final ban was against Graves, the outlaw.

This hero can be played in both the top and jungle lanes, and EDG clearly doesn't want Khan to develop peacefully in his comfort zone.

With both teams' lineups finalized, the curtain has officially risen on this epic battle.

Blue side EDG:

Top Lane: Fiora, the Grand Duelist

Jungler: Xin Zhao, the Grand Marshal of Demacia
Mid Lane: Viktor, the Machine Herald

Bottom Lane: Miss Fortune, the Bounty Hunter
Support: Tahm Kench, the River King
Red side's DK:

Top Lane: Ornn, the Mountain's Hidden Flame
Jungler: Jarvan IV, the Prince of Demacia
Mid Lane: Orianna
Bottom Lane: Jhin

Support: Leona, the Dawn Goddess

Welcome to Summoner's Rift!

A clear female voice rang out from the system, and the ultimate showdown, carrying the hopes and glory of the two regions, officially began!
"The match begins!" Miller exclaimed excitedly. "Neither side opted for a level one invasion, instead choosing a solid positioning. In the first round, both teams appeared exceptionally cautious."

In the top lane, Su Mo's Fiora and Khan's Ornn began their first probing attack the moment the minion waves met.

Su Mo did not rush to attack, but instead focused on finishing off Ornn and finding his weaknesses.

Khan played extremely conservatively, staying almost entirely behind minions and only using his Q skill, Volcanic Eruption, to last-hit minions from a distance.

However, Su Mo's suppression was all-pervasive.

He seized the moment when Khan went forward to finish off the cannon minion, and used his Q skill [Sky Piercer] to strike the opening in front of him, then calmly retreated.

With a smooth exchange of blows, Ornn's health dropped significantly.

"Mozi's attention to detail is terrifying," Wawa exclaimed. "He's like a precision instrument, completely predicting Khan's every move. Khan's laning phase is going to be very tough."

In the jungle, Canyon's Jarvan IV cleared the bottom half of the map and headed straight for the mid lane, intending to cooperate with ShowMaker's Orianna to suppress Scout's Viktor.

However, Jiejie's Zhao Xin seemed to have anticipated this, and had been waiting quietly in the river bushes for a long time.

As soon as the prince appeared, Zhao Xin charged out with his spear, forcing back DK's mid and jungle.

“Jiejie has an incredibly keen sense of smell!” Guan Zeyuan analyzed. “He knows that DK’s rhythm engine is the mid and jungle, so his task is to keep a close eye on Canyon and not give him any chance to gain momentum.”

Although no kills occurred in the first six minutes, an invisible pressure was already looming over the Rift. Khan's Ornn in the top lane was down by nearly 20 CS and had already been forced to recall once, using Teleport to return to lane.

The middle and lower lanes remained evenly matched.

But at the seven-minute mark, EDG found an opportunity to take down the dragon.

Both sides continued to develop steadily afterward.

The first turning point of the game occurred in the dragon team fight ten minutes in.

EDG took the lead by positioning themselves in the river and initiated the first attack.

DK was forced to join the raid.

"A fight is about to break out!" Miller's voice suddenly tightened. "DK has chosen to engage head-on; they are extremely confident in their team fights!"

BeryL's Leona appeared from the flank and unleashed a Zenith Blade aimed directly at Viper's Miss Fortune!
Miss Fortune dodged with her movement, but Leona came straight at her with her ultimate, and it looked like she was about to stun Miss Fortune.

But Meiko reacted even faster!
Almost at the same moment as the Leona's R, he swallowed Viper next to him whole, causing the Leona's control move to completely miss!
Seeing this, Canyon's Prince decisively used his ultimate ability, Cataclysm, on EDG's front line Xin Zhao and Tahm Kench.

ShowMaker's clockwork also placed the puppet at the prince's feet, preparing to unleash the devastating [Command: Shockwave].

At the critical moment, a white beam of light shot into the sky from the upper road!

"Brother Mozi used TP!" Wawa shouted excitedly. "He abandoned a huge wave of creeps and teleported directly to the ward behind the DK formation!"

His target was Ghost, who was safely dealing damage from the back row!

"Mozi is diving the backline! His target is Jhin!"

ShowMaker had no choice but to use his ultimate ability to pull it towards his feet in an attempt to push Fiora away.

However, Su Mo's reaction was faster than usual!
The instant Orianna's ultimate animation appeared, he pressed his W skill, [Laurent's Eye of the Heart]!
"Blocked it! My God! Mozi used W to block Orianna's ultimate, and even stunned Jhin!" Guan Zeyuan almost jumped up from the commentary booth!
Fiona, having successfully parried the control, charged in like a tiger among sheep, using her Q skill to dash forward and instantly landing her ultimate, "Unrivaled Challenge," on Ghost's Jhin!

All four flaws are revealed!

The Blade Dance unfolded amidst the crowd, and the moment the healing array was activated, Ghost's screen turned gray!

Without their AD carry, DK suffered a crushing defeat.

Khan's Ornn, despite his efforts to knock up EDG's backline, was rendered ineffective due to a lack of follow-up damage.

Ultimately, EDG pulled off a perfect team fight, trading one for four, with only support Meiko being eliminated.

"We won! EDG won this crucial Herald team fight!" Miller excitedly concluded, "Mozi's godlike flanking teleport completely shattered DK's renowned team fight system!"

The audience went wild, chanting that name in unison, the sound deafening.

After winning the team fight, EDG easily secured the Rift Herald and then pushed down DK's mid-lane tower.

The economic gap widened instantly to over two thousand.

From then on, the game completely fell into EDG's rhythm.

Su Mo's Fiora is unstoppable in split pushing, and Khan's Ornn doesn't even dare to defend alone under the tower.

DK needs to send at least two players to barely stop Fiora's advance.

This gave EDG the opportunity to outnumber their opponents in a direct confrontation.

They kept encroaching on DK's jungle resources, controlling the dragon, and snowballing their advantage.

Within 20 minutes, EDG had secured three dragons, and their economic lead had exceeded 7,000.

DK was pinned down on the high ground, struggling to defend against wave after wave of creeps.

Their operational rhythm was torn to shreds by Fiora's unstoppable split-pushing.

At 23 minutes, EDG made a feint attack in the mid lane, while Su Mo's Fiora pushed through the bottom lane minions and quietly approached DK's bottom lane high ground.

DK faced a dilemma. Ultimately, they sent Khan and Canyon back to defend the bottom lane.

But just as the two set off, Scout's Viktor seized the opportunity and, together with Xin Zhao, killed Orianna.

DK's mid-lane high ground was subsequently breached.

Meanwhile, in the bottom lane, facing the defense of two players, Su Mo's Fiora activated her ultimate, tanking the tower's damage and killing Khan's Ornn under the tower!
At this moment, Su Mo's teammates arrived, and Canyon's prince could only retreat in a sorry state.

With both high ground positions falling one after another, the suspense of the match was completely over.

After EDG returned to base to regroup, the five players gathered in the mid lane and, with a huge minion wave advantage, stepped onto DK's high ground.

Despite DK's stubborn resistance, it was futile against EDG's overwhelming equipment advantage.

Finally, the main crystal exploded under the concentrated fire!
A huge "Victory" badge shone brightly on the screens of everyone in EDG.

In the first game, EDG dominated and took the lead, leaving DK with no chance to breathe!

The EDG players calmly took off their headphones and high-fived each other.

This victory seemed to have been expected and did not cause much of a stir.

Jiejie tried to wrap her arms around Su Mo's neck, but he deftly dodged her by turning to the side.

"Stay calm," Su Mo patted his shoulder, "It's only the first game."

On the other side of the stage, the atmosphere in DK's battle area was frozen.

Khan slumped in his chair, staring blankly at his dismal record.

He felt like a clown who had been completely seen through.

From operational skills to awareness, the overwhelming superiority left him feeling utterly powerless.

ShowMaker and Canyon, the ace mid-jungle duo, remained silent at this moment.

They didn't even think they had made any major mistakes, but the game was lost cleanly and decisively, without any suspense.

Both players got up and headed to the rest room.

However, the passage leading to the lounge seemed exceptionally long and cold to the DK players at this moment.

Once in the lounge, Khan broke the silence: "My problem, I... can't handle it. He's too strong."

“It’s not your fault,” Canyon shook his head. “It’s all our fault. He single-handedly tore our team fights apart.”

“He played so perfectly.” ShowMaker closed his eyes, seemingly still savoring the despair of that moment. “He’s like he can foresee the future.”

"Stop talking." The coach finally spoke, his voice not loud, but it silenced everyone.

“We lost, and I know you’re upset.” He looked around. “In the first game, we were completely outmatched by them, from the draft phase to the gameplay. It’s not just one person’s fault; our entire team couldn’t find a way to deal with Mo.”

He paused, then changed the subject: "But this is only the first game of a best-of-five series! What's with all of you hanging your heads like that? Have you forgotten how we dominated the LCK? Have you forgotten how much effort we put in to stand here?"

"Be confident!" kkOma's voice suddenly rose. "If you want to win, you need the courage to change! Since conventional tactics can't defeat him!"

Everyone sighed inwardly.

Although I know the coach is trying his best to encourage them.

But everyone knows just how much pressure they face.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in EDG's rest room was relaxed.

"Great job!" Abu smiled and handed each team member a bottle of water. "We showed our momentum in the first game! The draft was excellent, and we didn't give them any chances in the game. Mozi's Fiora, my heart was pounding just watching it."

The factory manager nodded in agreement: "DK must be stunned right now. Their supposedly superior macro-management skills are completely ineffective against Mozi's absolute strength. I bet they'll change their strategy next game."

"How else can they change?" Jiejie asked curiously.

Su Mo unscrewed a bottle of water, took a sip, and said calmly, "What else can change? It's nothing more than completely abandoning the top lane and focusing on the bottom half of the map. They think that me alone in the top lane won't affect the overall situation."

Abu and the factory manager exchanged a glance and both laughed.

“We’re on the same page,” Abu said. “Then next game, we’ll play along. If they dare to let you roam freely, you’ll crush them on the top lane and then single-handedly destroy their base.”

Su Mo smiled and didn't say anything more. He simply closed his eyes to rest, already planning his hero selection for the next game.

After a short break, when both teams returned to the stage, everyone could sense that DK's aura had changed.

Although the atmosphere remained solemn, the air of despair had vanished, replaced by a sense of facing death without fear.

"Alright, viewers! Both teams are ready! Let's move on to the draft phase of the second game!" Miller's voice on stage brought everyone's attention back to the match. "DK has the right to choose sides, this time choosing the blue side, and EDG is on the red side!"

"DK has banned Fiora on the first floor!" Wawa said. "As expected! Mozi's Fiora put too much pressure on them last game!"

"EDG banned Xin Zhao on the first floor, preventing Canyon from getting the most comfortable tempo champion."

"DK banned River King as their second pick! They don't want to see Meiko's Tahm Kench again!"

"EDG's second pick was to ban Future Guardian! Continuing to target Mo's champion pool, EDG banned themselves – what kind of move is that?" Guan Zeyuan laughed. "Does EDG also know that letting Mo get certain champions would be too unbalanced?"

The live stream chat erupted in laughter once again.

[Shrimp and pork heart! EDG: I'll ban my own brother's heroes, I won't give you a chance!]

This is the confidence of a champion! I can still crush you even without Jayce!

Ultimately, BP ended quickly.

Blue side DK:

Top Lane: Gangplank, the Marine Disaster

Jungle: Blade of the Ruined King - Fryegor
Mid Lane: Syndra, the Dark Sovereign

Archer: Aphelios, the Reaper of the Crescent Moon
Support: Thresh, the Chain Warden
Red team EDG:

Top Lane: Kennen, the Heart of the Tempest
Jungler: Jarvan IV, the Prince of Demacia
Mid Lane: Vigus, the Messenger of Sorrow

Marksman: Miss Fortune the Bounty Hunter
Support: Nautilus, the Deep Sea Titan
"The lineup is finalized!" Miller concluded. "DK has indeed changed their strategy! They've picked Gangplank, a top laner who can provide global support, clearly intending for Khan to withstand pressure in the top lane and then use his ultimate to support team fights in the bottom half of the map! And the mid-jungle duo of Fryegger and Syndra is extremely strong in the early game! The bot lane duo of Aphelios and Thresh is an absolute guarantee of late-game strength! DK has staked everything on their mid, bot, and jungle!"

"EDG, on the other hand, has chosen a lineup with maximum initiation capabilities!" Wawa added, "Jarvan IV and Nautilus are both potential engines! Vigus's presence is also a great counter to Fryegor's engage! And in the top lane, Mozi has once again chosen Kennen! Facing a Captain who is destined to be left to fend for himself, Kennen's development will be unimpeded! Once an unstoppable Kennen finds an opportunity in late-game team fights, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Guan Zeyuan adjusted his glasses and made his scientific conclusion: "DK's tactics are very clear: use four players to break through EDG's bottom half of the map in the early game and not give Kennen a chance to take over the game! This is a race against time! It depends on whether DK's pace is faster or EDG can stay calm!"

A high-stakes gamble has begun. (End of Chapter)