LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

A 0-for-4 exchange, plus Baron Nash.

The suspense of the match was completely killed in just over 20 minutes.

The next few minutes were a complete waste of time for Gen.G. Su Mo's Gwent, with the Baron buff, even without her ultimate, used her fully stacked Q and Nashor's Tooth auto-attacks to make Doran afraid to defend the tower.

25 minutes later, EDG destroyed Gen.G's base.

1: 0.

In the second game, Su Mo gave Gen.G no chance to catch their breath.

Gen.G attempted to release Aatrox and pick Gwent in exchange for a ban.

As a result, Su Mo pulled out a Fiora weapon.

In this round, Su Mo demonstrated to the world what it means to strike with a flaw that reveals the true nature of the world.

Doran's Gwent was as clumsy as a doll in front of him, and every time she used her Q skill, Fiora dodged it with her Q slide and then countered with her healing circle.

At 19 minutes, Su Mo single-handedly pushed through the top lane high ground.

EDG won another game in 25 minutes.

The score came to 2:0.

With three match points in hand, they are just one step away from the S12 World Championship stage.

……

Backstage lounge.

When the EDG team walked in, chatting and laughing, Abu and Clearlove were already grinning from ear to ear.

"Well played! That Fiora game was so smooth!" Clearlove handed Su Mo a bottle of water. "Gen.G's mentality has collapsed, especially Doran. I saw his hands shaking just now."

Su Mo took the water, tilted his head back and took a sip, then slumped into the gaming chair with a long sigh.

"Ouch... I'm exhausted."

Su Mo rubbed his shoulders and said weakly, "This high-intensity gameplay is going to break my wrist. No, no, I can't play the next game."

The lounge fell silent for a second.

Immediately afterwards, everyone rolled their eyes in unison.

Meiko couldn't help but complain: "Brother Mo, you cleared the game with your Fiora in 19 minutes, and spent the rest of the time just strolling around. What are you tired of!"

Jiejie chimed in, "Exactly! You were even dancing with your badge on when you were taking apart the crystal. You seem to have a lot of energy."

Su Mo shrugged confidently: "Mental exhaustion is exhaustion too! Being invincible is so lonely. You guys don't understand this feeling of being at the top."

After saying that, he turned to look at Flandre, who was watching the game replay on his phone in the corner, and gave him his signature sly grin.

“Xuan Jun.”

Saint Gun suddenly looked up, a sense of foreboding washing over him: "Wh...what are you doing?"

"I'll give you a chance to make a name for yourself." Su Mo walked over and put his arm around Holy Gun Bro's shoulder. "Next game, you're up."

"Huh?!" Saint Gun's eyes widened. "Don't mess with this, Mozi! This is the semi-final! It's a 2-0 match point! If I go up and lose, I'll get roasted!"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Su Mo patted his chest. "If we lose, it's on me. I'll just say I was unwell and had to be substituted. If we win, it's yours. 'Taking on a mission in a crisis, leading the team into the finals,' isn't that a cool script?"

Abu listened from the side, feeling somewhat helpless, but he did not object.

On the one hand, EDG's current momentum is indeed unstoppable; on the other hand, he has also gotten used to Su Mo's lazy and unproductive style.

Moreover, letting Flandre go up to maintain his form and prevent any unexpected situations in the finals is also one of the tactical considerations.

“Alright.” Abu nodded. “Then let’s go, Xuanjun. But Xuanjun, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Just stay calm. Our two carries are in great form.”

Saint Gun stood up with a bitter face: "Fine, fine, I see through it all. I'm just a substitute who picks up scraps. Mozi, you just want to slack off!"

Su Mo laughed and slumped back into the sofa: "Go, Pikachu!"

"..."

……

A few minutes later, at the commentary booth.

Guan Zeyuan was passionately analyzing the possible draft adjustments Gen.G might make in the next game when he suddenly heard a message from the director through his headset.

His expression instantly became fascinating.

"Uh... I have a message that just came in." Guan Zeyuan paused for a moment, then smiled wryly, "EDG made a roster change in the third game."

"Top laner Mo will be resting and will be replaced by Flandre."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

Miller was also completely bewildered: "Huh? They've already made a substitution? A substitution at 2-0? Is Brother Mozi... clocking out again?"

Wawa couldn't help but laugh out loud: "The familiar feeling is back. Back in the LPL, Mozi often did this. When playing against weak teams or in a game with a huge advantage, he would bring up Flandre. It seems Mozi thinks this game is in the bag."

The live stream chat instantly turned into a sea of ​​joy:

[Classic slacking off!]

[Mozi: Stomping noobs is too boring, let Xuanjun go up and work up a sweat.]

[Doran: It's dawn! That devil is finally gone!]

[Gen.G: Are you guys looking down on me?]

[Holy Gun Guy: This is so hard for me. When I win, it's like I'm just coasting along; when I lose, I'm the scapegoat.]

……

The third game begins.

Gen.G was clearly "humiliated" by EDG's substitution, but at the same time, they breathed a sigh of relief.

The demon god who dominated the top lane every game is gone, replaced by a more stable Flandre. This is like a New Year for Doran.

Business proposal (BP) stage.

Blue side Gen.G, red side EDG.

Gen.G no longer needs to focus on top lane in their first three bans; they banned Lucian, Akali, and Sejuani.

EDG banned: Caitlyn, Yuumi, and Ryze.

Selection stage.

Gen.G first pick:
Caitlyn, the Sheriff of Piltover!
"They've let her out!" Guan Zeyuan shouted. "EDG actually let Caitlyn out! Ruler's Caitlyn is a signature champion! It seems that EDG's draft strategy has changed after they got Flandre. Are they planning to go for the late game?"

EDG countered with a lock-down:

Aphelios + Lenata.

Viper got his signature move, and Meiko responded with a backhand.

Gen.G, second and third floors:
Lux + Fryegor.

A classic female police officer Lux tower-pushing strategy! Peanut picked Fryegret to try and control the pace of the game.

EDG's third floor is locked:

Outlaw Graves!

"Graves!" Remember's eyes lit up. "Is this for Flandre? Or is it for Jiejie? I think it's more likely for Jiejie, while Flandre might pick a tank to withstand pressure."

However, after the second round of bans...

EDG picked Azir, the Emperor of the Sands, for Scout on the fourth floor.

Fifth floor, counter seat.

At this point, Doran had already picked Renekton, the Butcher of the Desert.

Crocodile, Doran's confident choice, is also a hero that aims to exert pressure in the early game.

Everyone thought that Flandre would just pick Ornn or Maokai to fill in the gaps.

As a result, EDG locked in a hero on the fifth floor that surprised everyone.

Gragas the Barrel! "Gragas!" Guan Zeyuan nodded. "Indeed, Flandre's Gragas is his specialty; he can even hold his lane against Renekton. So, Jiejie will be jungling Graves. EDG's lineup is very solid this game, with two carries and strong cores, and top, jungle, and support all having crowd control."

Final lineup:
Blue side Gen.G: Top laner Renekton, Jungler Fryegger, Mid laner Viktor, AD Caitlyn, Support Lux.

Red team EDG: Top lane Gragas, Jungle Graves, Mid lane Azir, AD Aphelios, Support Lena.

……

This game didn't turn into a one-sided massacre like the previous two games; instead, it became a suffocating tug-of-war.

Gen.G is, after all, the number one seed from LCK, and Chovy's Viktor and Ruler's Caitlyn displayed terrifying dominance in this game.

In the early game, Doran's Renekton played very aggressively.

Without the suffocating laning pressure from Su Mo, Doran seemed to regain his confidence, and at level 3, he teamed up with Peanut to tower dive and kill Flandre.

"Doran has stood up!" Guan Zeyuan exclaimed excitedly. "He out-farmed Flandre by 20 CS! Gen.G's early game tempo was perfect, and their Caitlyn tower-pushing strategy is working!"

In 15 minutes, Gen.G destroyed all three outer turrets of EDG, gaining a 3000 gold lead.

In the lounge, Su Mo chewed gum and looked at the screen, but his expression was not tense.

"What's the rush?" Su Mo mumbled. "Gen.G's lineup has too low a margin for error. Although Flandre is being pressured, his Gragas isn't falling behind in farming. As long as we drag it out to 30 minutes, Viper and Scout will take over the game."

As Su Mo had predicted, the match entered a long stalemate.

At 25 minutes, Chovy's Viktor had an astonishing 280 CS, having evolved three abilities, resulting in explosive damage.

EDG was once pinned under their high ground towers and couldn't breathe.

But Flandre demonstrated the value of a veteran.

28 minutes, Xiaolong team.

Peanut's Fryekov wants to get in and finish the job.

Flandre's Gragas executed an extremely tricky E-Flash-R combo on the flank!

"boom!"

A huge barrel exploded in the Gen.G crowd!

Not only did it blow Fryegor back, it also disrupted the positions of the policewoman and Lux!

"Great!!" Miller roared, "Holy Gun's ultimate was worth a fortune! It blew the jungler back! Viper was instantly killed!"

In this team fight, EDG achieved a 3-for-1 trade, successfully disrupting Gen.G's momentum towards securing the dragon.

The situation began to turn around.

35 minutes.

The economies of both sides are at par.

Scout's Tsar and Chovy's Viktor are both fully equipped.

The match has entered a phase where a single team fight can determine victory or defeat.

38 minutes.

An ancient dragon has spawned.

This is a dragon that determines fate.

The two sides, consisting of ten people, tugged at each other in the river for a full two minutes.

The female police officer in Ruler used her long reach to shoot Jiejie twice, crippling the male gunman and sending him home.

"Jiejie's back home! We're down a man! Gen.G is about to start the Elder Dragon!" Guan Zeyuan shouted. "EDG is in danger! If Gen.G gets the Elder Dragon, even if Viper is fed, he won't be able to withstand the execute buff!"

At the critical moment.

The guy who'd been suppressed all day finally stepped forward.

Instead of taking the damage head-on as usual, Flandre took advantage of the blind spot and circled around to the triangular bush above the dragon pit.

Gen.G's formation was slightly disjointed in order to draw away the Elder Dragon. Ruler's Caitlyn and Chovy's Viktor maintained a safe distance but were unaware of the danger lurking on their flanks.

"Can you open it? I can't reach Ruler's position!" Meiko asked anxiously over the voice chat.

Flandre's voice was unusually calm, "It can open, watch me!"

Before the words were even finished, the wine barrel with the big belly moved.

I started with E [Meatball Impact] and immediately used Flash without any hesitation!
E flash!
This belly passed through the crocodiles and Foyego in the front row and pointed directly at Ruler in the back row!

"boom!"

Ruler reacted quickly, using his E skill to dash, but he didn't expect Gragas to predict his dash position, and his R [Explosive Gragas] followed closely behind!
The giant barrel traced an arc through the air and exploded the moment the policewoman landed!

"He's back!! Ruler's been blasted back!!" Miller roared.

This explosion not only sent the policewoman flying into EDG's face, but also blasted Chovy's Viktor and Peanut's Fryegor into a heap!
"It's now!"

Meiko's eyes narrowed, and she flashed forward, unleashing R [Hostile Takeover]!
The golden poisonous mist instantly enveloped the three Gen.G members who had been blasted back!

The policewoman, who was being controlled, raised her gun uncontrollably and fired a shot that blew Viktor in the head!
"They're killing each other!! Meiko's ultimate move hit three key carries!!" Guan Zeyuan jumped up from his chair.

Scout's Tsar seized the opportunity, using Quicksand Shift to enter the fray, adjusting his position with his Q skill, and unleashing his R [Imperial Wall] like a bulldozer, trapping the three controlled enemies firmly in a corner, giving them absolutely no room to maneuver!

Jiejie's male gunner slid forward, unleashing a QR combo, and the large lead bullets exploded in the crowd!
Viper's Aphelios, wielding Glowing Flame, unleashed his ultimate, [Radiant Nightfall], in the center of the crowd!

Blue fireworks scattered across the sky—the splendor of death!
"It's melted!! Gen.G's back row melted instantly!!"

With EDG's beautiful team fight coordination, Chovy was instantly killed before he could even use his invulnerability skill, and Ruler also fell under his own gunfire and EDG's focused fire.

Doran and Peanut, who remained, had absolutely no chance of escape from the five bloodthirsty EDG players.

ACE!

Destroy the group!

0 for 5!

A perfect team fight!

"That teamwork! That initiation! Holy Gun Bro!!" Remember was so excited he was almost incoherent. "Who said he's old? Who said he's a noob? This E-flash-R combo has blew back EDG's ticket to the finals!"

At this point, there are still more than 40 seconds left before the respawn timer expires.

The mid-lane minions have just arrived.

EDG's five players didn't even bother to glance at the Elder Dragon, and directly charged towards Gen.G's high ground with the minion wave.

"One wave! One wave! I have TP to protect the minions!" Scout shouted.

The five men advanced with unstoppable momentum, destroying the central high ground and two siege towers.

41 minutes 23 seconds.

Gen.G's base crystal exploded with a deafening roar during Viper's final auto-attack.

“Congratulations to EDG!!!”

Miller practically screamed, his voice trembling with tears: "We won! We won! A grueling 40-minute battle! Even with Mozi absent, the entire EDG team withstood the pressure! Flandre's godlike initiation, and the perfect cleanup from the two carries! They did it!"

Guan Zeyuan slumped in his chair, letting out a long sigh, his face filled with shock: "That was amazing. Gen.G's much-vaunted late-game strategy seemed so fragile in the face of EDG's miraculous team fight. This EDG team isn't just about Mozi; every position can step up in crucial moments!"

In the video, Flandre takes off his headphones and jumps up from his chair in excitement, bumping chests hard with Jiejie next to him.

Although he was pressured in the early game and his stats weren't great, he was undoubtedly the hero in the end.

Backstage lounge.

Su Mo stood up and stretched languidly.

"See? I told you they could do it."

Abu and the factory manager had already rushed out to greet the team members.

Su Mo followed slowly behind, watching his teammates hugging and celebrating at the end of the corridor, a smile flashing in his eyes.

"The finals..."

With EDG's dominant 3-0 victory and advancement to the finals, all the pressure is now on the two teams in the lower bracket. (End of Chapter)