Chapter 651
Mo Ge is also involved?
The lights were dim in the passageway as they walked off the stage, but they couldn't hide the joy in the eyes and brows of the Chinese team members.
"That was awesome! That push was so satisfying!" JackeyLove walked in front, swinging his wrist as he went. "The way Ruler looked at me at the end, he looked like he wanted to devour me alive. Let him pick me first, this time I electrified him so much his scalp tingled!"
Meiko walked beside him, laughing and patting him on the shoulder: "Don't get cocky, kid. You insisted on using your E to push forward in that last wave. If I hadn't held onto my ultimate, your post-match rating would have been reduced by at least 0.5."
Su Mo, walking at the very back of the group, appeared unusually quiet. He simply put his hands in the pockets of his team uniform, his steps steady, and his breathing not even slightly disordered.
Pushing open the door to the lounge, 369 and Coach Zhu Kai immediately came to greet us.
"Brother Mo! God! You're my only brother!" 369 exaggeratedly handed over a bottle of mineral water with an open cap. "That tower dive kill gave me goosebumps watching from below! Zeus will probably have to buy a standing ticket back to Seoul tonight after this game!"
Su Mo took the water, took a sip, then gently shook his head with a gentle smile on his lips: "Don't brag. The reason I was able to play so comfortably this game was because Jiejie helped me counter-gank that crucial wave. If Kanavi had kicked me to death, I would have been the one to collapse in the top lane."
As he spoke, Su Mo looked at Jiejie, who had just sat down to the side, and raised his chin seriously: "That flash interruption of Kennen's ultimate was perfectly timed. You deserve the credit."
Jiejie's tense face instantly turned red. He scratched his head and smiled shyly, "No, no, it's mainly because you calculated the damage accurately. I wasn't sure at the time, afraid that I wouldn't be able to deal enough damage and would be replaced."
"And the left hand." Su Mo turned to Knight, who was rubbing his nose, and said, "In the Dragon Pit fight, if you hadn't decisively used your ultimate to charm Caitlyn, my ultimate would have only resulted in a one-for-one trade at most. Everyone coordinated well; it wasn't just my achievement."
Su Mo's words were calm, yet they were like a bucket of warm water poured over the overheated air in the lounge, instantly calming the somewhat agitated atmosphere caused by the 2-0 match point.
A hint of appreciation flashed in Coach Zhu Kai's eyes. This was precisely why he trusted Su Mo the most. As a top-tier top laner who had won the FMVP award, Su Mo not only possessed overwhelming individual skills but also an absolutely clear mind. He was not greedy for credit, did not steal the limelight, and always put the team first.
"Alright, everyone listen to Su Mo, let's calm our heart rates down first." Zhu Kai patted the tactics board. "2-0 doesn't mean we've won. No one is allowed to open champagne at halftime until the Korean team's base explodes for the third time!"
"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.
"In the next game, the Korean team is backed into a corner, and they'll definitely pull out all the stops." Zhu Kai looked around. "Su Mo, what do you think their draft picks will be?"
Su Mo put down his water bottle, walked to the tactics board, and said with a deep look in his eyes: "KkOma is not a stubborn person. He knows that the top lane has become the breakthrough point. In the third game, he will definitely not let Zeus pick a tanky hero again. Because playing tanky is equivalent to a slow death."
“You mean…” Meiko frowned.
“They’ll give Zeus Jayce, Yone, or Irelia. They might even reserve a counter pick for him,” Su Mo calmly analyzed. “Then, they’ll completely block my fighter champions in the first three picks. Jax, Aatrox, Renekton, they won’t let any of them through.”
"So how do we deal with this?" JackeyLove asked. "Should we let you pick a hero first?"
"No need." Su Mo smiled faintly, his tone revealing a simple and unpretentious composure. "Since they want to hand over all the BP resources to me, then let them. Jack, you're in charge this time."
JackeyLove was taken aback, then his eyes lit up instantly: "Brother Mo, you mean..."
“They think I can only play warriors and hack people down.” Su Mo patted 369 on the shoulder, then turned to Zhu Kai and said, “Coach, next game, give me Ornn or Sion. I’ll be their dog, protecting JackeyLove and Left Hand for damage.”
There was a moment of silence in the lounge after he said that.
369 gasped, "Holy crap, Mo-ge, you're an FMVP player with amazing skills, and you're going to play a tank in a match point game? Isn't that overkill?"
"A good knife is one that can win the game." Su Mo sat back on the sofa, closed his eyes to rest, and said, "If they target me, our bot lane will get the most comfortable system. As long as we win, does it matter who gets the MVP?"
Upon hearing this, JackeyLove slammed his fist into his hand: "It's all set! Don't worry, Mo-ge, as long as you can hold the line, I guarantee I'll maximize the damage this game. If I don't carry, I'll eat my keyboard right here and now!"
……
Meanwhile, in the South Korean team's rest room.
A deathly silence.
Zeus sat in the chair, his hands gripping the ice water bottle tightly, his knuckles white from the force. His body trembled slightly, and his eyes were unfocused, staring at the floor in front of him.
"Sang-hyeok..." Kanavi's voice was a little hoarse, "Is he really... unable to fight?"
Faker didn't speak. He simply took off his glasses, pulled a soft eyeglass cloth from his pocket, and meticulously wiped the lenses. His movements were slow, unsettlingly so.
Coach KkOma stood before the crowd and took a deep breath. He didn't get angry, because he knew that anger at this moment would only completely break down the mental defenses of these young people.
“Yuqi (Zeus’s real name).” KkOma walked up to Zeus, half-squatted down, and patted him on the shoulder. “Look at me.”
Zeus stiffly raised his head, his eyes red like a rabbit's.
"The opposing top laner is very strong, isn't he?" KkOma asked softly.
Zeus bit his lip and nodded with difficulty: "Coach... I feel like I'm not facing a player, but an emotionless machine. Every time he changes his strategy, every move he makes is calculated. I... I can't find any weaknesses."
"Then let's not look for flaws."
Faker put on his clean glasses, a resolute glint flashing behind the lenses. He stood up and walked to the middle of the line.
As the greatest player in League of Legends history, when he stepped out, the air in the lounge seemed to freeze.
"We've done it before, coming back from 0-2 down to win 3-2." Faker's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear. "Don't think about solo kills, don't think about proving yourself. We're a team."
Faker looked at KkOma: "Coach, next game, I'm not going to roam. Get me Azir or Orianna, I want to play a late-game carry."
He then looked at Zeus: "Yuqi, I'll give you Jayce next game. You don't need to pressure him, just push the lane and deal maximum poke damage in team fights. The enemy top laner isn't a god. If he plays a fighter and engages, I'll push him; if he plays a tank, Ruler will handle him."
Ruler stood up and nodded vigorously: "Leave it to me. Even if it means death, I'll skin them alive."
KkOma nodded emphatically as he looked at his teammates, whose fighting spirit had been rekindled.
"Alright! For the third game, we choose the red side! We'll save our last counter pick for Yuqi!"
……
Ten minutes later.
As the rousing music resounded once more throughout the Hangzhou Esports Center, the entire audience erupted in thunderous cheers. The five-starred red flags in the stands coalesced into a vast expanse of red.
In the commentary booth, the three commentators were already on high alert.
"Alright, welcome back to the finals of the League of Legends event at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games!" Guan Zeyuan's voice was still full of passion. "The Chinese team currently holds three match points! They are only one step away from that supreme gold medal!"
"In this game, the Korean team has proactively chosen the red side!" Miller analyzed. "It seems they intend to reserve the last counter pick for either Zeus or Faker. The draft phase has already begun!"
Blue side (China), red side (South Korea).
Ban players in the first three rounds.
The Chinese team remains very stable: Xia, Da Shu, and Luo.
When the South Korean team revealed their top three bans, the entire stadium erupted in astonishment.
Ban: Jax, Aatrox, Renekton!
"Three bans on top lane!!!" Remember's eyes widened. "Three bans on top lane again! My god, Coach KkOma is really stubborn! He'd rather give up meta champions like Kai'Sa and Neeko to the Chinese team than let Mozi get a carry champion!"
The camera cuts to the Chinese team's seating area.
Su Mo showed no displeasure whatsoever. He even leaned back comfortably in his gaming chair and whispered into his headset, "See? Just as I guessed. Jack, the Kai'Sa you wanted has been released."
"Then I won't hold back!" JackeyLove smiled confidently. The Chinese team made a first-strike, instantly locking in Kai'Sa, the Daughter of the Void!
The South Korean team quickly locked down Tsar and Reil on the first and second floors.
"Faker's Azir! This is Faker's signature carry!" Guan Zeyuan gasped. "It seems the Korean team is going to drag out the pace of this game."
As BP goes deeper.
The Chinese team secured a strong bot lane combination of Kai'Sa and Nautilus, Knight picked Neeko in the mid lane, and Jiejie played Lee Sin in the jungle.
The Korean team opted for an Aphelios + Riven bot lane, with jungler Kanavi picking Sejuani.
It's the fifth floor of the red team's turn, the last pick for the Korean team.
Time passed second by second.
Suddenly, the profile picture flashed and locked on!
—The Guardian of the Future, Jess!
"Jayce!! Zeus' Jayce!" Miller shouted, "After being schooled in two consecutive games, Zeus has brought out his signature aggressive champions! He's going to really get this top lane fired up!"
At this point, all the pressure fell on the Chinese team's final selection.
The enemy top laner is Jayce, with long range and high burst damage. Several dive champions have been banned again.
"Brother Mo, what are you going to play? Irelia? Or Camille?" Meiko, who was in charge of helping with the selection, asked.
Su Mo looked at the opposing team's lineup: Azir, Aphelios, and Jayce.
This is a typical long-range poke composition with counter-attack potential. If you try to charge in with Camille, you'll easily get pushed away by Azir's ultimate and then focused down and killed.
“No need to rush.” Su Mo tapped the table lightly, his tone carrying an undeniable calmness. “If they want to play Poke, then we’ll give them an impenetrable mountain.”
"Give me... Ornn."
"What?!" In the commentary booth, Guan Zeyuan was stunned when he saw the Chinese team's avatar. "Ornn?! Mozi is going to play Ornn?!"
"boom!"
Ornn, the Mountain's Flame, Lock On!
The audience gasped in disbelief.
"This...this is a tactical change!" Ji De swallowed hard. "In the match point game, with an absolute advantage, Mo Zi actually abandoned his best carry-type top laner and picked a pure tank!"
Miller, however, keenly grasped the deeper meaning behind this hero selection. He slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed, "That's vision! That's Mozi's vision! You're targeting me? You're banning three top laners? No problem! I don't need to be a hero, I'm willing to be my teammates' strongest shield! Look at the Chinese team's lineup, Lee Sin, Neeko, Kai'Sa, Nautilus! All of them are frontliners! All they lack is a tanky frontliner who can absorb damage and initiate team fights!"
"Ornn's move was a stroke of genius!"
The final lineups for both sides have been determined:
Team China (Blue Side): Top Laner Ornn, Jungler Lee Sin, Mid Laner Neeko, ADC Kai'Sa, Support Nautilus.
South Korea (Red Side): Top lane Jayce, Jungle Sejuani, Mid lane Azir, ADC Aphelios, Support Riel.
"Enter the game!"
At the start of the game, Su Mo's Ornn did not play as aggressively as in the previous two games. Instead, he bought a Doran's Shield and stayed quietly under the tower to gain experience.
Zeus' Jayce played very aggressively at level 1, frequently crossing the minion wave to exploit Ornn's range advantage.
Su Mo remained silent, calmly using his passive ability to acquire equipment under the tower. Getting harassed? He used a health potion and acquired some armor.
“Zeus has 10 CS ahead, but he seems really frustrated.” Guan Zeyuan watched the screen. “Mozi doesn’t fight back at all. Even if he misses a CS, he absolutely won’t give you a chance to whittle down your health. This is the art of top laners’ resilience. He’s like a sponge, absorbing all of Jayce’s early game pressure.”
The game time has reached 8 minutes.
The South Korean team wanted to use their early lane advantage to secure the Rift Herald.
"Vanguard Regiment, should we accept the mission?" Jiejie hesitated in the river.
“Here. I’m level 6.” Su Mo glanced at his Cloth Armor Boots and Thornmail, his eyes narrowing. “Jack, find a position to fly this wave. Left hand, watch my ultimate.”
At the riverbed.
The Korean team is holding back their vanguard. Faker's Azir is extremely cautious, with his Sand Soldiers ready to pounce at any moment.
Just one second before Kanavi's Smite was about to land.
A powerful horn blast resounded throughout the canyon!
"Sheep, come here!!!"
Su Mo's Ornn emerges from the shadows, activating his ultimate ability, "Call of the Forging God"!
A giant lava elemental sheep charged in from behind the Korean team, its path perfectly covering the four people inside and outside the dragon pit!
"That angle of that ultimate move! It's so tricky!"
Faker reacted extremely quickly, and WEQ attempted to drift to avoid the first deceleration.
But Su Mo completely ignored the Tsar. He slammed headfirst into the rock wall beside him, unleashing his second ultimate attack!
boom!
The fire sheep crashed hard into the back row of the South Korean team!
Three people were knocked away! Aphelios, Riel, and Sejuani were all sent flying high into the air!
"Three were hit!! A perfect initiation!! This is the Mountain's Flame!!" Miller roared.
"My turn!"
JackeyLove, who had been holding back his anger for a long time, used Kai'Sa's ultimate ability, "Hunter's Instinct," to instantly leap across half the screen and land right in front of the knocked-up Aphelios. A torrential downpour of Icathian rain poured down!
Knight's Neeko flashes in with her ultimate, followed by a barrage of crowd control!
Explosion instantly!
Zeus' Jayce watched this scene from the sidelines, unsure of who to smash with his warhammer. Although he had the best farm in the game, his poke was completely useless against Ornn's unreasonable long-range engage.
"0 for 3! The Chinese team not only took control of the attacking line, but also killed three players!"
After the team fight ended, Su Mo's Ornn didn't even bother to get an assist. He leisurely returned to the top lane to continue farming his items, as if the devastating team fight he had just initiated was just something he did casually.
"Too steady..." A LPL fan in the audience muttered to himself, "Mozi is scary when he plays warriors, but when he plays tanks, he's hopeless."
The Korean team's voice chat fell silent once again.
They targeted Su Mo in two matches, banning all of his swords and spears.
But they forgot that Su Mo's most terrifying quality wasn't his weapon, but his champion's heart—a heart ready to become the cornerstone of victory at any moment. (End of Chapter)