LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

On the game loading screen, a percentage progress bar slowly jumps in the center of the screen.

In EDG's team voice chat, everyone was chatting away.

"Brother Mozi, can you teach 369 a lesson this time?" Jiejie said. "The enemy team's lineup is very aggressive, with Shen, Hecarim, and Galio. If they take off, our backline won't be able to hold on at all."

Su Mo adjusted his headset and said in a relaxed tone, "Charge? That depends on whether they can break through my powder keg formation. Just remember one thing this time: if the enemy dares to group up and charge, just use your crowd control skills to combo well, and I'll handle the rest of the damage."

Meiko analyzed, "They're definitely going to make a move at level six, most likely by diving the bottom lane. We need to be careful, Viper. If Hecarim gets to level six and uses Shen's ultimate, their tower dive is unreasonable."

"It's alright, I have a powerful move up my sleeve and can provide support at any time," Su Mo said.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in JDG's team voice chat was noticeably more somber than that of EDG.

"369, if you build Doran's Shield this time, you must resist the urge to trade blows with him." Kanavi said in a deep voice while planning the jungle route. "I have to rush to level 6 this game. I won't go top lane in the early game, so be careful."

369 took a deep breath, looked at the familiar captain ID on the other side, and gripped the mouse tightly: "Don't worry, I'm Shen. I have W Sword Array and E Taunt. I'll just stay under the tower and play defensively. He can't possibly dive me at full health, can he?"

Yagao encouraged him, "Stay calm, bro. Once I reach level 6 with Taliyah, we'll completely dominate the bot lane and not bother with that monster top laner. His Gangplank isn't very useful in the early game anyway."

……

"Army attack!"

A rousing sound effect rang out, and the spring water barrier disappeared.

Su Mo steered the captain and swaggered towards the upper road.

Starting items: Doran's Blade + Health Potion.

"Doran's Blade?!" Uzi, watching from the commentary booth, immediately noticed the detail. "Facing a champion like Shen who has healing and shields, Mozi didn't build Corrupting Potion or Cull, but went straight for Doran's Blade to fight head-on? This is going to suppress him from level one!"

The doll nodded: "He's still going first. The meaning is obvious, he's going to steal money like crazy."

The lanes converge at the river.

369 kept the coach's advice in mind and obediently stayed behind the minion wave, waiting for it to come.

Su Mo glanced at Shen's position, then crossed the minion wave and positioned himself at the edge of the bush.

There was no level 1 team fight, so everyone logged in normally.

1 minutes 40 seconds.

369 wanted to use his Q skill to last-hit a melee minion.

The instant he pulled his soul blade, Su Mo moved.

Q: [Armed Negotiations]!
"boom!"

A flaming bullet struck Shen precisely.

With a crisp sound of gold coins entering the bag—ding!

[First Strike] Triggered!
The additional true damage, combined with the attack power of Doran's Blade, caused Shen's health bar to visibly jump.

+5 gold coins.

Su Mo's lips curled up slightly.

And so it begins.

The next two minutes felt like an eternity for 369.

Su Mo used the bushes to block vision and constantly refreshed his passive Fire Blade. As long as Shen dared to take a step forward, he would be met with a Q or a Fire Blade auto-attack with true damage.

2 minutes 50 seconds.

Both sides reached level three.

At this point, Shen's health had been reduced to two-thirds, and he was six minions behind in last hits.

"What is Kanavi doing?" Miller looked at the mini-map.

JDG's jungler Hecarim didn't choose the conventional fast level 3 gank route, but instead opted for a fast level 4 route by farming from the bottom up.

Kanavi knew very well that this ultimate move was key to JDG's comeback, and he couldn't waste time ganking the top lane, which was destined to be at a disadvantage, in the early game.

Jiejie's Lee Sin is more agile.

"Jiejie has entered the jungle!" Uzi exclaimed. "He knew Hecarim was going to farm, so he directly invaded JDG's top jungle. Kanavi is in a tough spot; he was farming the red buff when Lee Sin caught him red-handed!"

At the Red Buff pit, Lee Sin's Q skill accurately hit Hecarim, who was pulling jungle camps.

Kanavi was startled; the red buff still had 800 health left.

A battle of punishment?
The centaur's health is low right now; if they lose the fight, they'll lose their lives.

Kanavi gritted his teeth and gave up the red buff, activating his E skill to accelerate and create distance for his retreat.

"Jiejie did a great job!" Wawa shouted, "He stole the red buff! This is a huge blow to Hecarim who desperately needs to farm! And now, 369 in the top lane is even more isolated and helpless!"

We set off at this point.

Seeing that Jiejie had lost her red buff, Su Mo became even more unscrupulous.

He placed two buckets in front of the Tower of Shen.

One was at their feet, the other was among the soldiers.

369 huddled under the tower, looking at the chain of barrels, feeling panicked.

He knew what the captain wanted to do—explode the barrels to consume resources and, incidentally, clear out enemy troops and pressure the towers.

With the Lee Sin lurking in the shadows, even though he was playing Shen, he was still a little flustered.

369 held W in his hand, thinking that he couldn't just use this skill carelessly.

Just as he was thinking this, Su Mo A dropped the first bucket at his feet.

The instant he detonated it, he immediately placed a third barrel at the edge of the turret's attack range!

Three barrels!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

This explosion not only cleared out a wave of low-health minions under the tower, but also hit Shen hard.

With the added benefit of stealing money from the first strike, Shen's health instantly dropped below half!

"That triple barrel combo was so smooth!" Miller exclaimed. "But unfortunately, the captain is destined to be unable to kill Shen in the early game and can only keep farming."

As Miller said, although Su Mo stole money in various ways, he still couldn't kill Shen.

The main problem was that the opponent was too cowardly, constantly farming under the tower. He would never force a last hit on minions if he couldn't reach them, and he never traded blows... You could say he didn't give them any chance at all.

With Shen refusing to hand over W no matter what, Jiejie didn't dare to take the big risk of diving the tower.

5 minutes 30 seconds.

When Su Mo returned home, he found that he had an astonishing amount of gold coins in his pocket.

[Future Market] Buying equipment with debt.

He immediately pulled out [Radiant Light] + [Longsword] + [Straw Sandals].

At five and a half minutes, this equipment is a devastating blow to a Shen who only has Doran's Shield and Cloth Armor.

5 minutes 40 seconds.

Su Mo teleported back online.

This time, he didn't give 369 any chance to catch his breath.

He tightly controlled the minion wave at the river mouth.

369 wanted to gain experience, so Su Mo directly blocked the road with a double barrel.

369 is caught in a dilemma.

If you go forward, you'll be bombed and lose experience; if you don't go forward, you won't gain any.

In the end, he couldn't resist the temptation and wanted to use his E skill [Skill! Shadow Bind] to taunt and trade blows, then try to push the lane with the help of minions.

"He's anxious."

Just as Shen E charged over.

Su Mo's W skill instantly dispelled the taunt!

The moment he ate the orange, he swung his fire sword and slashed at Shen!
accelerate!
Su Mo used the passive movement speed bonus to dodge Shen's subsequent basic attack with a small movement.

Q!

Radiance Triggered!
"boom!"

This shot hit Shen like a cannon hitting a mosquito.

Shen's health bar instantly dropped by a significant amount.

369 wanted to run, but Su Mo had already placed buckets on his retreat route.

A barrel, refresh the fire blade, chase after it and slash it again!

In just one exchange, Shen, who was at full health, was reduced to low health, while Gangplank only lost a little over a hundred health points.

"I don't understand this damage!" Doll exclaimed. "Is this the oppressive power of Captain Shining? 369 is going to have to wear the Mask of Pain again this time!"

……

The game time has reached 6 minutes and 30 seconds.

Both sides have reached level six. This is JDG's power spike, and it's a crucial moment for them to establish their rhythm.

"Watch the bottom lane! Watch the bottom lane!" Kanavi shouted in the voice chat.

At this point, Centaur had reached level six and activated Sprint and Predator, rushing down the lane at lightning speed from the mid-lane river.

Yagao's Taliyah also activated her ultimate, creating a stone wall that blocked Viper and Meiko's escape route.

Meanwhile, in the top lane, 369's Shen activated his ultimate, "Mystic Art! Merciful Soul Salvation," casting a shield on Hecarim who was about to charge into the tower!
Galio's ultimate ability, [Hero's Appearance], is ready to be unleashed!
Five packs of two!
This is JDG's global strategy!

"Here it comes! JDG's ultimate 5v2 gank!" Miller roared. "EDG's bot lane duo is trembling under their tower! How can they defend against this? They can't possibly hold on!"

Viper and Meiko really couldn't hold on.

With Shen's ultimate ability activated, Hecarim ignored the turret's damage and charged straight in.

R [Shadow Strike] - Fears two!
Galio's ultimate skill lands, knocking enemies into the air!

This combo is devastating.

"Rumble..."

Suddenly, a muffled rumble of thunder echoed in the sky.

That's the captain's ultimate move—[Cannon Barrage]!
Su Mo did not teleport down to save the person.

Because he knew that going down via Teleport at this point would be suicide, and the captain would be controlled and killed as soon as he landed.

He made the calmest, and also the most ruthless, choice.

Use your ultimate to support the bottom lane, clear the minion wave, and incidentally rack up assists and damage.

He himself stood in front of the top lane tower, unleashing a barrage of attacks on the empty tower.

"Viper, try to find another one," Su Mo said.

The bottom lane was in a terrible state.

Viper's Aphelios played exceptionally well, even managing to trade kills with the tanky Centaur before dying, but ultimately both he and Braum fell to the ground.

JDG achieved a 1-for-2 trade.

The JDG fans at the scene erupted in cheers. Finally! They've finally found their rhythm!

but.

Uzi, who was in the commentary booth, suddenly pointed to the top lane and said, "Wait! Look at the top lane!"

The director cuts the camera to the upper road.

Su Mo's captain was seen wielding a scimitar, hacking away at JDG's top lane tower.

Radiant Light triggers, Fire Blade refreshes.

The turret's health plummeted like water under the captain's brutal demolition.

Now there are no two layers of tart crust left.

At this moment, 369's Shen teleported to the bottom lane to provide support, leaving the top lane completely open.

The next moment, Jiejie also arrived and immediately began pushing the tower.

The two players kept attacking the tower.

Until the top lane tower was completely destroyed.

"Only eight minutes in, and the top lane's first turret is gone!" Wawa exclaimed. "Although JDG got two kills in the bot lane, the top lane's Gangplank is incredibly fed! In this economic exchange, EDG doesn't seem to have lost much, in fact... Gangplank is making a killing!"

When 369 returned to the top lane, he found that he had already fallen far behind the captain.

Nine minutes into the game, the captain is already level eight.

He, on the other hand, was only level 7, and had just been promoted.

Then open the TAB panel and take a look.

The captain's finishing blow: 98 hits.

Shen's last hits: 55.

"Is this game... still playable?" 369 watched the captain, accompanied by the jungler, swaggering around and eating the rock golem, and once again felt the malice from the world.

It seems this game really depends on the bottom lane's performance... he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Su Mo, having finished off the enemy's toad monster, returned to town to replenish his equipment.

After they came out, the Rift Herald also spawned.

"Jiejie, let's take the Rift Herald." Su Mo marked the Rift Herald. "Speed ​​up the pace!"

Jiejie came running over excitedly: "Brother Mozi is here! The other side probably won't dare to come and pick us up now."

As he said, JDG didn't dare to engage the vanguard team at this point.

Taliyah and Shen didn't have their ultimates, and the bot lane duo had just gone back to base to replenish their supplies.

It can only be released.

EDG easily secured the Rift Herald.

"Jiejie, let the mid lane go!"

At Su Mo's command, Jiejie crushed the Herald's Eye in the mid lane without hesitation.

The void creature roared as it crashed into JDG's mid-lane tower.

JDG wanted to retreat and defend, but they were all hesitant when they saw the pirate following behind the vanguard.

At this moment, the captain held the Radiant Light and the Caulfield Warhammer in his hands, and was one level ahead of everyone else.

Yagao's Taliyah tentatively scattered a patch of [Stone Scattering], attempting to halt the Vanguard's advance.

Su Mo placed a double bucket directly in front of the formation.

This powder keg is quite intimidating, and the JDG players have become very cautious.

Kanavi's team lingered nearby, genuinely hesitant to engage. After all, their two farmed bot lane duo were pushing the tower.

"boom!"

The vanguard crashed headfirst into the tower, and the mid-tier tower, which had already lost some health due to Scout, was on the verge of collapse.

Su Mo stepped forward, ignoring the turret's aggro, and slashed the turret with his Fire Blade right in front of JDG's mid and jungle.

The defensive tower collapsed with a crash.

"They took down the mid-lane tower so easily?" Ji De was somewhat incredulous. "JDG gave up that tower way too decisively!"

"There's no other way, we have to let it go," Guan Zeyuan analyzed. "Although the bottom lane tower dive resulted in a kill, the advantage was all on the AD carry. EDG's advantage, on the other hand, lies with their mid, top, and jungle, so it's hard for them to defend."

At the same time, the camera focused on the bottom lane.

Taking advantage of EDG's group gathering in the mid lane, JDG's bot lane duo forcefully pushed down EDG's bottom lane tower.

"This is also a way to cut losses," Uzi commented. "Trading turrets to keep the economic gap close. But... the strategic value of this mid-lane turret is too high. Once vision is revealed, Kanavi's jungle will suffer."

After destroying the middle tower, the game enters a brief development phase.

13 minutes.

Su Mo went home and crafted the Mana Drain Blade and the Essence Reaver.

In Season 12, the crit-based Captain build relies heavily on the Essence Reaver.

I'll add the Trinity Force later, since I already have Sheen, which is enough for now.

"I'll go bot lane, Viper, you guys go mid," Su Mo commanded.

EDG quickly completed the lane swap.

Watching the captain carrying a knife walk towards the bottom lane, 369 felt a chill run down his spine.

Because he had to defend the captain.

After all, he's Shen, and he has his ultimate ability to support his teammates, so pushing lanes and creating pressure is the best option for him.

But 369 only had Sunfire Aegis at this time, which looked incredibly pathetic compared to the captain.

Su Mo arrived at the bottom lane, where the minion wave was near the river.

He didn't rush to push the line, but instead walked into the bushes and waited quietly.

369 is very careful.

He controlled Shen, only gaining experience at the edge of the experience zone, never giving the captain a chance to blow up the barrels.

He knew perfectly well that the captain was hiding in the grass, trying to ambush him.

Su Mo is a cunning old fox; that's common knowledge.

"Mozi is controlling the lane this time, 369 is having a tough time." Wawa looked at the screen, "If this minion wave is controlled to death here, Shen will only be able to experience points."

Su Mo glanced at the mini-map.

Hecarim has appeared in the top half of the map, Taliyah is clearing the wave in the top lane, and the two bot lane duos are fighting in the mid lane.

This is an absolute 1v1 battle between men. (End of Chapter)