LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

Welcome to Summoner's Rift!

As the system's female voice sounded, the second round of the match officially began!

"The match begins!" Miller's voice was as loud as ever. "We can see that DK is executing their strategy very decisively this game! They have completely abandoned vision control in the upper jungle, and Canyon's Fryegor has chosen a bottom-up farming route, clearly indicating that they want to focus all their early game efforts on the lower jungle!"

Inside EDG's rest area, Abu looked at the screen with a knowing smile: "It's happening, exactly as we expected. They're going to use four people to fight four of us, completely letting the top laner roam free."

The factory manager nodded: "As long as Khan's captain can hold his own and use his ultimate to support, DK's mid-game fighting power will be terrifying. Jiejie, Scout, and Viper will face a lot of pressure in the early game."

In the match footage, in the top lane, Su Mo's Kennen and Khan's Gangplank were facing off.

Khan's face held an almost tragic resolve.

He knew that his mission in this round was not to win, or even to draw, but to "survive".

He abandoned all thoughts of actively trading damage, opted for Corrupting Potion as his starting item, and prioritized leveling up his skill W [Scurvy Treatment], hoping to survive just one more second in lane.

However, Su Mo's suppression began from the moment the first minion appeared.

He took advantage of Kennen's long range, constantly whittling down Gangplank's health with basic attacks and his Q skill, while skillfully controlling the minion wave to slowly push it towards his tower.

Khan felt as if he were in an invisible cage.

Every time he tries to finish off an enemy, he has to endure a full set of Kennen's energy consumption.

He tries to use his Q skill, "Gunfire Negotiation," to last-hit ranged minions, but Kennen will immediately move in and attack him from a greater distance.

"This is so painful!" Wawa sighed as she looked at Khan's health bar, which had been reduced to below half. "Khan is like a boxer with his hands and feet tied. Every move he makes is exactly what Mozi knows. This is no longer a laning phase; it's torture."

The live stream chat also expressed sympathy for Khan:

[Brother Hanzi, why don't you just leave your character AFK in the fountain? It's heartbreaking to watch.]

Is this what happens when you let Mozi run wild? Top lane has turned into a single-player game, and on hell difficulty at that.

[Stop criticizing! As long as Brother Hanzi doesn't die and gets two assists with his ultimate, they'll win this game!]

[No, isn't Lord W a person?]

[I could play like that too!]

【…】

Meanwhile, on the other side of the map, DK's plan is being executed methodically.

Three minutes later, Canyon's Foygo cleared the bottom half of the jungle camps and went straight to the mid lane.

ShowMaker's Syndra understood perfectly, and used a QE combo to stun Scout who was last-hitting a minion!

"DK has made their move! Mid-jungle synergy! Their momentum is on!"

However, just as Fryegor was about to follow up with his damage, Jiejie's Jarvan IV burst out from the side bushes with an EQ combo, knocking up ShowMaker!

Scout's Vigus countered with a W skill that feared two people, allowing her to escape successfully.

"Beautiful! Jiejie's counter-gank!" Miller exclaimed. "His instincts are amazing! He's like a guardian angel, firmly blocking Canyon's path of attack!"

DK's first wave of attacks was perfectly neutralized by Jiejie's awareness.

But Canyon was not discouraged; when one plan failed, he devised another.

He immediately changed direction and, together with the bottom lane duo, began to invade EDG's lower jungle.

"DK's pace is so fast!" Guan Zeyuan analyzed. "They don't stop for a moment, they want to disrupt EDG's defensive plan with constant pressure. They know that time is on EDG's side, and they must race against the clock!"

For the next few minutes, the focus of the match was entirely on the bottom half of the draw.

Both sides engaged in fierce competition over river vision and jungle resources.

With a stronger mid-jungle duo, DK gained the upper hand and secured the first dragon.

However, EDG's defense was equally impenetrable, with Meiko's Titan landing several crucial hooks that successfully deterred DK from advancing further.

The economic gap between the two sides remained tight, and the number of kills was slow to materialize, but all the spectators could feel the suffocating pressure.

In the top lane, Su Mo had Khan pinned under the tower, unable to move, and the CS difference had widened to a terrifying thirty CS.

He even started leisurely farming the opponent's jungle resources, turning DK's upper jungle into his own ATM.

Khan's mental state was on the verge of collapse due to these repeated torments.

He felt like an isolated island, forgotten by the whole world, forced to watch helplessly as Kennen on the other side grew stronger like a snowball.

The turning point of the game occurred in the team fight for the second dragon at the 12-minute mark.

DK had five players in position early, determined to secure this crucial winning hand.

EDG was forced to engage in team fights, and their formation was somewhat scattered due to the narrow terrain of the river.

"DK has a completely advantageous position!" Wawa's voice became tense. "EDG is in a very difficult position for this team fight! Kennen doesn't have Teleport yet, so it's a four-on-five situation!"

ShowMaker's Syndra seized the opportunity, using her ultimate [Power Surge] in conjunction with her W skill to bring Jiejie's Jarvan IV to low health!

BeryL's Thresh landed a hook that appeared out of nowhere and hit Jarvan IV precisely!
"Jiejie is going to be instantly killed!"

At this critical moment, Viper's Miss Fortune found an excellent position to deal damage on the flank and activated her ultimate ability, "Barrage Time"!
Golden bullets instantly covered the back row of the DK!
Meanwhile, in the top lane, Khan's Gangplank also activated his ultimate, with a rain of golden cannonballs falling, mirroring Miss Fortune's ultimate!

The two teams' ADCs, on opposite sides of the world, are engaged in an ultimate showdown!
"Two cannons at the door!!!" Miller stood up excitedly. "Let's see who can deal more damage and who can last until the end!"

However, just as everyone's attention was drawn to the dazzling barrage of bullets, a purple figure had already quietly circled around to the back of the DK formation.

It's Su Mo's Kennen!

Instead of using Teleport, he ran all the way from the top lane to the battlefield on foot!

He was like a top assassin lurking in the shadows, waiting for his prey to reveal a weakness.

Now, the time has come!

"It's now!"

In EDG's team voice chat, Su Mo's voice was calm and clear.

flash!

E Skill [Ultimate! Thunder Armor] activated!
Kennen's figure transformed into a streak of purple lightning, charging into the center of the DK formation at an incredible angle!
Ultimate move – [Secret Technique! Thunderous Prison Summoning]!
"boom--!!!"

A more terrifying and devastating storm than the one that struck RNG on the first day exploded within DK's formation!

"Thunderbolt!!! Another thunderbolt!!! Brother Mozi has entered the arena!!!" Guan Zeyuan's voice trembled with excitement as he pointed at the screen and roared, "This position! This timing! How did he find it?! DK's back row was completely unprepared!"

ShowMaker's Syndra and Ghost's Aphelios, the two core damage dealers of DK, didn't even have time to use Flash before their health bars were instantly evaporated in the deadly lightning and Miss Fortune's barrage!

Double Kill!

Su Mo's Kennen secured a double kill!

Canyon's Fryegwart desperately tried to escape using his passive transformation, but Scout's Vigus landed a precise fear, freezing him in place before he was focused down and killed instantly. The team fight was decided in an instant.

Death Knight's tactics, Death Knight's hopes, everything Death Knight had, all vanished in this purple lightning.

"ACE!! Team wipe!!!" Miller shouted these two words with all his might, "EDG has achieved a perfect 4-for-0 team wipe! With an artful maneuver and counterattack, they have completely shattered DK's gamble of 4-1! The game is over!"

The DK match booth was deathly silent.

ShowMaker leaned back in his chair, his hands off the keyboard, his eyes filled with disbelief and bewilderment.

He couldn't understand why, even though they had executed their plan so perfectly and had pushed EDG to the brink of defeat, that man could always appear in the most unlikely places and end the game in the most unreasonable way, like a god.

The immense shock of falling from heaven to hell in an instant made his heart clench with pain.

Khan's face turned ashen.

他看着自己0杀0死0助攻的战绩，和那个4杀0死1助攻的凯南，脸上露出了一个比哭还难看的笑容。

He didn't die; he completed the task assigned by the coach.

However, his team perished.

This feeling of powerlessness is more despairing than being killed ten times in a row.

The live stream chat was now completely flooded with the word "god".

[God! This is God! Please, take this person for a urine test, he's definitely not from Earth!]

[I hereby declare the S11 World Championship over! The champion has been crowned! The remaining matches are exhibition matches!]

[I feel so sorry for ShowMaker. He played incredibly well, but unfortunately, the opposing team had someone with a cheat code that allowed them to see right through enemies.]

[DK: We're giving up on top lane and going for 4v4. Mozi: OK, then I'll come over and go for 5v5.]

This isn't just a difference in game understanding; it's a difference in species!

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.

After this wave of attacks, DK's momentum was instantly lost.

EDG operated smoothly throughout the season, and Su Mo was invincible.

Ultimately, the game ended in twenty-five minutes.

2: 0!

EDG holds match point and has pushed DK into the abyss!
"Nice!"

Jiejie excitedly took off his headphones. This time, he successfully hugged Su Mo's shoulders from behind and shook him vigorously.

Su Mo did not resist, but only had a helpless smile on his face.

This time, the EDG players walked with exceptional ease through the player tunnel leading to the rest area.

On the other side, the DK team members seemed to weigh a ton with every step they took.

Back in the locker room, they were greeted by the head coach's melancholy face, which looked as if it were about to drip water.

But this time, he didn't yell or encourage as he did after the first game.

He simply watched as his teammates slumped into their chairs, looking utterly dejected and speechless.

The entire lounge was so quiet that you could hear each other's heavy, suppressed breathing.

This silence is more suffocating than any heated argument.

After a long silence, the coach finally spoke, his voice hoarse:

"In the third set... can you... still manage?"

This question struck like a heavy blow to the hearts of every DK member.

Can you fight?
They looked at each other with the same confusion and despair, and no one could answer.

Their confidence, their pride, their glory as LCK champions were shattered in those two matches by that man in two completely different ways.

They felt like clowns, unable to escape the other party's grasp no matter how much they struggled.

“Coach…” ShowMaker was the first to look up, his voice trembling slightly, “How…can we win?”

This question expressed the thoughts of everyone.

Yeah, how else can we win?
When a team's strongest point, the mid-jungle synergy, is dismantled by the opponent's superior individual skill;
When a team's most prized system is defeated by the opponent's more perfect tactics;
When no matter what you do, the other party always seems to anticipate your actions and react perfectly...

How else can you win?
Looking at the extinguished light in the eyes of his teammates, kkOma felt a deep sense of powerlessness welling up inside him.

He knew that DK's morale had been completely shattered.

This is not a tactical or operational problem; it is a complete collapse of confidence and will.

He took a deep breath, as if he had made an incredibly difficult decision.

“Next game,” he said slowly, “we’ll… play it a different way.”

His gaze swept over Canyon, over ShowMaker, and finally landed on BeryL, who had kept his head down and remained silent the entire time.

"BeryL, you're in charge for the next game. Forget all our previous tactics, forget about strategy, forget about tempo. Just play the way you like best. Play however you want."

BeryL suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

The other team members also wore expressions of disbelief.

They all knew that BeryL's personal style was to mess around.

He enjoys playing unconventional support roles and roaming at unpredictable times. His playstyle is full of imagination, but also full of risks.

In DK, which emphasizes discipline and teamwork, BeryL's style has always been suppressed by kkOma.

Now, on the verge of despair, kkOma chooses to unshackle this "beast."

“Coach, this…” Canyon hesitated.

“That’s it.” kkOma’s voice left no room for doubt. “We have nothing left to lose. Since we can’t win with conventional tactics, let’s… go crazy one last time on this final stage.”

……

Inside EDG's rest area, the atmosphere was jubilant.

"If it's 3-0! I'll treat everyone to the seafood buffet in Iceland tonight!" Jiejie excitedly waved her fist.

"Don't get too excited," Abu said, though he maintained a calm demeanor despite his smile. "DK's resilience should not be underestimated. We need to stay calm, especially in situations like this."

He turned his head and looked at Su Mo, who was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, resting: "Brother Mo, how do you think they will play in the third round?"

"It's hard to say," Su Mo shook his head. "A beast driven to the brink might do something unexpected. However..." (End of Chapter)