LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

The Spring Split is already halfway through.

For LPL viewers, EDG remains incredibly strong this season, topping the leaderboard with an undefeated record.

But within this strength lies a strange sense of "effortless mastery".

Because their god, the man with the ID [Mo], has not stepped onto the field since the opening match.

He was like a peerless sword enshrined in a shrine; everyone knew its sharpness, but the scabbard remained unopened for a long time.

At this moment, inside his luxurious villa in Sheshan, this "god" is facing a major problem in his life.

"I'm not eating anymore, I really can't eat anymore..." Su Mo leaned back on the sofa, looking at the three stunning beauties in front of him with a look of utter despair.

On the left, Luo Xin held a bowl of freshly stewed bird's nest, gently blowing on it with a small spoon to cool it down, her eyes full of anticipation.

To her right, Rita held a freshly baked cheesecake adorned with blueberries, her eyes sparkling with allure.

Before her, Yu Shuang had brewed a pot of pre-rain Longjing tea, its aroma filling the air and refreshing the soul.

"Just one more bite," Luo Xin said coquettishly, "This is very nutritious."

“Try my cake, I’ve been learning how to make it for ages!” Rita retorted.

Su Mo felt like his head had two big heads.

Since taking on this "retired" life, his biggest daily task has shifted from figuring out how to solo kill his opponents online to figuring out how to refuse these sweet "feedings" without hurting anyone.

Just as he was caught in a dilemma, his phone vibrated like heavenly music.

Caller ID: Abu.

Su Mo felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and immediately sat up straight and answered the phone: "Hey, Abu, what's up?"

On the other end of the phone, Abu's voice carried a hint of helplessness: "Ahem... Brother Mozi, are you... are you busy?"

"Busy, extremely busy," Su Mo said seriously, while making a "shh" gesture to the three women.

Abu clearly didn't believe it, but he didn't call him out on it. He just said, "Um... Brother Mozi, you've been resting for almost half a season, shouldn't you... go up and show your face?"

"Holy Gun Bro played pretty well, with an undefeated record. What do you need me for?" Su Mo said lazily.

“That’s true, but the rumors outside… they’re going crazy!” Abu spoke faster. “Some say our club is benching you, some say you’re having a conflict with management, and even more outrageous ones say you’ve secretly terminated your contract and are preparing to retire in North America! If you don’t go out and play a game soon, my PR department’s phones will be ringing off the hook!”

Upon hearing this, Su Mo raised an eyebrow.

Retire in North America?
These people have quite a vivid imagination.

"Fine, fine," he said nonchalantly. "Who are we playing next?"

Hearing Su Mo agree, Abu breathed a sigh of relief: "We'll play WBG! The day after tomorrow!"

"Oh, TheShy." Su Mo nodded. "Okay, I got it."

After hanging up the phone, Su Mo looked at the three pairs of curious eyes in front of him and shrugged: "It was Abu on the phone, asking me to go back and play in the competition."

"That's great!" Rita was the first to cheer. "I'd almost forgotten what you're like on the court! Finally, we can watch you play!"

“It’s time to get some exercise,” Yu Shuang nodded with a smile, “otherwise your body will rust.”

Luo Xin quietly put away the bird's nest and turned to walk towards the kitchen: "Then I'll make you a glass of juice. You need to be in the best condition before the competition."

To them, it was perfectly natural for this man to enjoy life at home or return to the arena to dominate everything.

Two days later, when the starting lineup for EDG's match against WBG was announced, the entire LPL, and even the League of Legends community worldwide, was in an uproar because of the appearance of that one ID.

Top Laner: EDG.Mo

It was just a simple name, yet it was like a nuclear bomb, detonating a massive storm.

Even before the official live stream started, its popularity had already exceeded ten million viewers.

Discussions about this match instantly flooded major social media platforms, forums, and online communities.

[Holy crap! He's alive! Mozi is finally back at work!]

My youth is back! I thought I wouldn't see God again this season!

[Everyone rise! Welcome back to the celestial realm on earth!]

[Stop jinxing it, I have a feeling WBG is going to be in big trouble...]

TheShy: Listen to me, thank you. Because of you, all four seasons are warm...

[Stop laughing, everyone. I feel sorry for WBG. They prepared a week's worth of tactics to counter Flandre, only to switch their support at the last minute. Who can withstand that?]

[Regarding the incident where my boss begged me to come back and clock in because I took too long a vacation]

Miller, Wawa, and Guan Zeyuan were already in the commentary booth, their excitement evident on their faces.

"I still can't believe my eyes!" Miller said excitedly. "Just when we all thought Mo was going to continue his 'rest' schedule, he came back! He chose to return to the court in the final stages of the regular season!"

“This is absolutely a bolt from the blue for WBG,” Wawa exclaimed. “I can even imagine how the WBG coaching staff must feel right now. All their pre-match preparations may have been rendered useless the moment they saw this starting lineup.”

Guan Zeyuan adjusted his glasses and began his "scientific analysis": "From a tactical perspective, this is actually an extreme form of psychological deterrence. Mo's return is not only an improvement in EDG's fighting strength, but also a huge shock to the mentality of the entire WBG team. They are about to face an unknown but incredibly powerful opponent. This kind of pressure cannot be compensated for by conventional tactics."

Meanwhile, in WBG's team lounge, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed like water could drip from it.

The coach stared at the newly updated EDG starting lineup on the projector, his temples throbbing. His meticulously prepared tactical plan, devised over a week to counter Flandre's tanky, blue-collar playstyle, had now become nothing but a pile of scrap paper.

"Coach, what... what do we do?" Jungler SofM frowned, his tone tinged with frustration. "We have to completely change our playstyle."

Huanfeng and ON in the bottom lane exchanged a glance, both seeing deep apprehension in each other's eyes.

They would rather face EDG's four-man gank on the bottom lane than face that man's dominance on the side lanes, because that would mean their jungler would never be able to gank the bottom lane.

All eyes eventually focused on the man in that corner.

TheShy.

As one of the most entertaining top laners in the LPL, his playstyle is known for its aggressive and unpredictable nature, making him a nightmare for countless top laners.

But at this moment, his face lacked its usual confidence.

He didn't speak, only gave a bitter smile.

The coach took a deep breath: "It's just a different player! TheShy, your laning ability is no worse than anyone else's! As long as we..."

“Coach,” TheShy suddenly spoke, interrupting him.

He looked up, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “You guys fight your battles. Get on the road… I’ll handle this myself.”

He knew that any tactic might fail against that man.

Today, all he can rely on is the sword in his own hand. Either he is utterly crushed in the shadow of God;
Alternatively, one can transcend through a confrontation with God.

The moment the players from both sides walked out of the player tunnel and stepped onto the stage, the entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.

The lights were dazzling, and all the cameras and the focus were on the figure walking at the back of the EDG team, hands in pockets, with a leisurely pace.

Su Mo wore headphones and didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, as if the surrounding roaring shouts had nothing to do with him.

He's just here to work and clock in.

However, as he sat down and his calm eyes swept across the WBG team's booth opposite him, TheShy's heart involuntarily skipped a beat. He felt an invisible, suffocating pressure wash over him like a tidal wave.

"Alright, everyone!" Miller's voice boomed through the loudspeakers, bringing the atmosphere to its peak. "Welcome to the highlight match of the LPL Spring Split! EDG vs. WBG! The battle of gods and demons is about to begin! Let's focus our attention on the draft!"

As both teams took their seats, the ban/pick phase officially began on the giant electronic screen.

WBG, on the blue side, didn't hesitate at all in their first three bans, immediately banning Jayce, Kennen, and Irelia.

“It’s the same old routine!” Miller said immediately. “The classic ‘five bans on top laners’ strategy. WBG is clearly trying to limit Mo’s champion pool!”

EDG, on the other hand, casually banned the popular junglers and supports in the current patch.

When it was time to select players, WBG's first floor was locked up almost instantly!
"Lucian, the Purifier!" Wawa's voice suddenly rose, "TheShy! He's picked one of his most confident and aggressive champions! Top lane Lucian! This is a signal that he's going to dominate the lane from level one!"

The atmosphere in the entire arena was instantly ignited. Everyone knew that TheShy was challenging the returning "god" in his own way!
Faced with this aggressive move, EDG calmly picked their first two picks, securing the standard Aphelios and Thresh combination for the bot lane.

The focus of the draft phase shifted to EDG's final counter pick.

All eyes are on Mo's profile picture. What champion will he use to counter TheShy's unreasonable top lane Lucian?
The hero's portrait flashed rapidly, and finally, amidst exclamations of surprise, it was locked on!

"The Rogue Assassin - Akali!"

Miller could hardly believe his eyes: "Akali! Mozi picked Akali to counter Lucian! This is an assassin champion that extremely tests mechanics and timing of entry! Is he going to use his skills to directly counter TheShy's plays?!"

"This...this is a duel between gods and demons!" Guan Zeyuan adjusted his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses filled with excitement. "One is the sharpest spear, the other is the most unpredictable blade! This duel in the top lane has risen to the level of a work of art from the moment the draft ended!"

Game start!
Welcome to Summoner's Rift!

As the system's female voice sounded, the highly anticipated showdown officially began.

On the top lane, the minion waves met. TheShy's Lucian didn't hesitate at all, learning the E skill [Relentless Pursuit] at level one, sliding forward, his twin pistols unleashing holy light, and spraying bullets at Akali.

"So aggressive! TheShy is playing so aggressively!" Wawa exclaimed. "He's using his long range advantage to prevent Akali from farming safely!"

However, Su Mo's Akali was like a slippery eel. His positioning was extremely tricky, always managing to retreat into the bushes to block Lucian's vision just before Lucian raised his hand, or use a slight twist to dodge the second hit of the Holy Light Silver Bullet.

In the first three minutes, although Akali was out-farmed several times, her health remained at a very healthy level.

This invisible pressure caused TheShy's brows to furrow even more tightly.

He felt like he had used all his strength, but it was like punching cotton.

The turning point occurs at four and a half minutes.

TheShy seized the moment when Akali was last-hitting the cannon minion, and once again used his E to engage, unleashing a smooth combo that reduced Akali's health to below half.

"There's an opportunity! Akali's health is low!"

Seeing Akali retreat, a hint of killing intent flashed in TheShy's eyes.

He accurately calculated the cooldown of his next skill and pushed the minion wave directly under EDG's tower, preparing to tower dive and kill!

However, the moment Lucian stepped into the turret's attack range, Su Mo's Akali moved!
W Skill [My Ultimate Technique! Mist Formation]!
A cloud of smoke exploded beneath the tower, and Akali vanished without a trace.

TheShy was startled and instinctively retreated.

But it's too late!
Akali reappeared like a ghost in the smoke, her E skill, "My Flowing Technique! Falcon Dance," landing precisely on Lucian!

Immediately following up with her second E, Akali's figure drew a sharp arc in the air, instantly closing in on him!
Q skill [My Ultimate Technique! Shadow Strike]! Basic Attack!

First Blood!

The notification for the first kill echoed throughout the entire arena!

Su Mo's Akali, with half health under the tower, smoothly countered and killed Lucian who was at full health, without even using Flash!

"My God... is this even possible?!" Miller's face was filled with disbelief. "That's a textbook example of a tower dive kill! He used the Twilight Shroud to avoid Lucian's fatal damage, and then used a perfect combo to completely disrupt TheShy's calculations! Is this what a god is?!"

TheShy stared at his gray screen and pursed his lips tightly.

Akali, having secured First Blood, immediately went back to base and bought a Dark Seal and a Longsword, completely shifting the initiative in the laning phase.

Seven minutes in, SofM's Lee Sin sneaked into the top lane bush, preparing to coordinate with TheShy, who had just respawned, to gank Akali.

"SofM is here! Two against one! Let's see how Akali runs this time!"

However, Su Mo's consciousness seemed to transcend the entire game.

The moment Lee Sin emerged from the bush, he had already unleashed his E skill into the bush behind him.

TheShy's Lucian tried to engage with Su Mo using his E ability, but Su Mo didn't even glance at him and simply distanced himself.

Seeing this, Lee Sin decisively used his W to ward hop and unleashed a precise Q skill, Sonic Wave!

Just as his Q skill was about to hit, Su Mo pressed his R skill!
[My Secret Technique! A Dazzling Strike from Within!]
Akali's figure instantly transformed into a blur, narrowly dodging Lee Sin's fatal Q skill, and simultaneously dashing into Lucian's face!

AQA two-stage R!

TheShy's Lucian had his health bar instantly emptied!

After killing Lucian, Su Mo glanced at Lee Sin, who was already preparing to leave, knowing he couldn't kill Akali.

"One against two! He did it again, one against two and even killed one!" Wawa's voice was trembling. "Top lane... top lane has completely become a one-man slaughterhouse! TheShy and SofM have become Mo's ATMs!"

The outcome of the next match was completely decided.

Su Mo's Akali is like a dark king walking through the canyon.

He was no longer satisfied with solo kills online, but began to extend his suffocating dominance to the entire map.

Twelve minutes later, he roamed down the middle lane.

WBG's mid laner Angel was laning against Scout when Su Mo's Akali emerged from the shadows on the flank like a ghost, delivering a smooth combo that sent him back to the fountain.

Fifteen minutes later, the Rift Herald team...

WBG's five players assemble in an attempt to contest this crucial mid-game resource.

EDG's four players feigned defeat and retreated steadily.

Just as WBG's formation was broken, Su Mo's Akali, from an unexpected angle, used her R skill to cut into the backline, like a red-hot dagger, precisely stabbing into WBG's heart!
He used a combo to instantly kill the ADC, then used the Shadow Array to become invisible and avoid damage. After his skills cooled down, he used his second ultimate to leave the battlefield, concealing his achievements and fame.

WBG's formation collapsed instantly, and they were utterly crushed by EDG's four-man frontline attack.

The match ended after 22 minutes.

The data panel popped up the moment EDG's base crystal exploded.

Su Mo's Akali achieved a godlike score of 13-0-2, earning him the MVP award for the match.

On stage, Su Mo calmly removed his headphones, his face expressionless.

For him, this was just an ordinary regular season game, a routine job to get through.

On the other side of the stage, WBG's battle area was completely silent.

TheShy leaned back in his chair, looking dazed at the screen.

Since his debut, he has experienced such a utter sense of powerlessness more than once.

And every single time, it was this man who brought it to him.

Only he could make him feel powerless. (End of Chapter)