Chapter 745
Accident
Above a large tree behind Ah Chen, a withered branch as thick as an adult's thigh, seemingly broken by last night's thunderstorm, was teetering on the verge of collapse!
Ah Chen was completely focused on Ming Kai's direction and was unaware of the danger above him!
"Crack!"
A sickening cracking sound rang out.
A huge, withered tree branch, mixed with fallen leaves, slammed down hard towards Ah Chen's head!
"Chen! Get out of the way!" Mingkai saw this scene and was so frightened that his voice changed.
Ah Chen froze for a moment, then subconsciously looked up. His pupils dilated instantly, but his body froze in place due to extreme fear.
At this critical moment!
A black blur swept down the earthen slope like lightning!
Su Mo's speed was unbelievable. Without the slightest hesitation, he exerted force with both legs, and like a cheetah, he instantly covered a distance of more than ten meters.
Just as the dead branch was about to hit Ah Chen.
Su Mo grabbed Ah Chen by the back of his camouflage collar, his arm muscles tensed up suddenly, and he unleashed a terrifying force, dragging the 130-pound Ah Chen back more than a meter like he was lifting a chicken!
"boom!"
The huge, withered tree branch slammed down on the spot where Ah Chen had just been lying, kicking up a cloud of dust and even creating a shallow crater in the mud!
The entire room fell silent.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden scene.
Ah Chen collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale, gasping for breath. Looking at the withered tree in front of him, which was enough to seriously injure someone, cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
Mingkai and Xiaoyue rushed over and hurriedly helped Achen up.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Mingkai asked anxiously.
"No...it's nothing..." Chen was still in shock. He turned to look at Su Mo standing to the side, his eyes instantly reddening. "Brother Mo...thank you. If it weren't for you, I probably would have lost my life here today."
Su Mo patted the dirt off his clothes, his expression remaining as calm as a still, ancient well. Even his breathing didn't become rapid.
"It's good that you're alright." He bent down to pick up the thermos he had dropped while rescuing someone, patted off the dust, and said gently, "In the future, when you're in the wild, in addition to keeping an eye on your opponents, you should also pay attention to your surroundings."
"That reaction speed...that explosive power..." A youth training team member swallowed hard, looking at Su Mo as if he were a monster. "Brother Mo, did you practice martial arts or special forces before?"
Su Mo smiled faintly and did not answer.
Has he trained? In this world full of high pressure and competition, how can one sit on the throne for seven years without training one's body and nerves to the extreme?
This unexpected little incident brought the live-action CS game to an early end.
Back at the villa, everyone was still a little scared, but their admiration for Su Mo reached an even greater peak.
In their eyes, Mozi is not only a god on the field, but also a guardian angel in real life.
The third day was the last day of the team building activity.
After lunch, the bus was already waiting at the entrance of the resort, ready to return to Shanghai.
The team members carried their luggage onto the vehicle one after another.
Just as Su Mo was about to board the bus with his peripheral bag, a bright red Ferrari sports car, accompanied by the roar of its engine, executed a beautiful drift and stopped next to the bus.
The car door opens upwards like butterfly wings.
A woman wearing a burgundy silk slip dress, sunglasses, and ten-centimeter red-soled high heels stepped out of the car.
Her long, seaweed-like hair fluttered in the wind, her graceful curves and captivating face instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Ah Chen and Xiao Yue stared wide-eyed.
"Holy crap...what an amazing beauty!" Ah Chen couldn't help but swear.
Rita took off her sunglasses, and her captivating peach blossom eyes scanned the crowd before finally locking onto Su Mo, who was standing in front of the bus door.
A seductive smile played on her lips as she strode confidently toward Su Mo.
Amidst the shocked gazes of the team members and coaching staff.
Rita naturally reached out and hooked her arm around Su Mo's neck, then stood on tiptoe and planted a bright red lip print on his handsome profile.
"Brother Mozi, is it fun in the mountains? I've come to pick you up from get off work." Rita's charming voice carried an undisguised possessiveness.
The audience was silent.
Mingkai and Abu exchanged a glance, both seeing the helpless "I knew it" in each other's eyes.
Ah Chen and Xiao Yue stared wide-eyed, their jaws practically dropping to the floor.
“R…Rita-nee?!” Xiao Yue stammered.
As an official commentator for the LPL, Rita is known in the industry for being aloof and difficult to pursue. Countless wealthy heirs and professional players have been turned down by her.
Who would have thought that this icy beauty would drive her sports car into the deep mountains and forests and throw herself into their arms! And the object of her affections was none other than their usually aloof and celibate Brother Mozi!
Faced with this sudden "declaration of sovereignty".
Su Mo did not push her away.
He reached out with a calm expression and gently wiped the lipstick stain from his cheek with his fingertips, a hint of indulgent smile flashing in his deep eyes.
"Didn't I tell you to wait at home? Why did you drive all this way through the mountains?" Su Mo said gently.
"I missed you." Rita said coquettishly, taking his arm in the process. "Besides, the bathtub at home is already filled with water, and Sister Yu's soup is hot. I was worried you'd be too tired from the bus ride, so I came here to be your personal driver."
These words were so informative that they completely stunned the young EDG players.
The bathtub at home? The soup that Sister Yu made?!
Could this be the legendary...?
Ah Chen swallowed hard and silently gave Su Mo a thumbs up.
God truly lives up to his name. Not only can he take on five opponents at once in Summoner's Rift, but in real life, the quality and quantity of his harem are also unparalleled in the entire League of Legends, a truly overwhelming advantage!
Su Mo turned to Ming Kai and said, "I'll ride back in her car."
"Alright, alright, you should hurry up and leave. Don't provoke these single guys here." Mingkai waved his hand, urging them on like they were getting rid of a plague.
Su Mo nodded slightly, picked up his peripheral bag, and sat in the passenger seat of the Ferrari.
With a roar of the engine, the red sports car disappeared like a bolt of lightning at the end of the winding mountain road.
Inside the car, the air conditioning was on full blast.
As Rita drove, she secretly glanced at the man sitting in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.
"What? Are you upset that I suddenly came and caused you trouble?" Rita pouted, her tone tinged with grievance.
Su Mo didn't open his eyes, but simply reached out and naturally grasped her right hand, which was resting on the gear shift, gently stroking it.
"No," Su Mo's voice was low and calm. "I just felt sorry for you driving for so long."
Rita's heart skipped a beat.
In front of this man, all her pretense and pride would crumble. He didn't need sweet words; a simple expression of concern was enough to make her feel utterly content.
"Hmph, at least you have a conscience." Rita grasped his hand in return, a bright smile spreading across her lips.
The Ferrari sped along the highway.
Outside the window, the setting sun was like blood, dyeing the sky a brilliant orange-red.
The short holiday is over.
As May draws to a close, temperatures in Shanghai are gradually rising, and the LPL Summer Split, like the weather, is brewing a storm that will soon sweep across the entire league.
The Summer Split is the final battleground for determining the teams that qualify for the League of Legends World Championship (S-Series). Driven by this ultimate honor, teams engage in a frenzy of recruitment and roster adjustments during the off-season.
EDG headquarters, conference room.
Abu slammed a thick "2024 LPL Summer Split Team Preview" onto the table.
"Look, this is the pack of wolves we'll be facing this summer." Abu pushed up his glasses, his expression serious.
Mingkai turned on the projector, and the latest official photos of several top esports teams appeared on the screen one after another.
"First up is JDG (Jingdong)," Mingkai pointed to the big screen. "After losing to us in the Spring Split semifinals, they learned their lesson. In the Summer Split, they retained their core system of top laner Sheer and jungler Kanavi, while mid laner Yagao remained as solid as a rock. The most terrifying thing is their bot lane. After half a year of practice, the combination of Ruler and Missing has reached its peak. Moreover, it is said that in this tank patch that targets top laners, they have trained Sheer to master heavy tanks, determined to crush us in team fights."
Ah Chen swallowed hard: "Emperor Ruler... how come this old monster is getting stronger and stronger the more we fight him?"
Screen switching.
"BLG (Bilibili)," Abu continued, "the vengeful spirit of the all-Chinese team. After being swept by us in the Spring Split finals and missing out on their MSI spot, they're burning with rage. The roster remains unchanged: Bin, Xun, Knight, Elk, and ON. But in recent scrims, Bin has completely abandoned his obsession with lightweight champions and started practicing Quesant, Ornn, and Sion like crazy. A top-tier mechanical top laner willing to play a support role, combined with Knight and Elk's explosive damage output, makes this BLG team's teamfight survivability level significantly higher than in the Spring Split."
“There’s also LNG (Li Ning) and TES (Top Esports).” Mingkai turned a page of data. “LNG’s mid laner Scout and jungler Tarzan’s mid-jungle synergy is still top-tier in the league, and top laner Zika is also thriving in the tank meta. TES, on the other hand, has brought in strong reinforcements in the bot lane, and with jungler Tian’s unpredictable rhythm, once they get into a rhythm, no one can stop them.”
Xiao Yue took a deep breath: "Goodness, this summer tournament is like a battle of gods. And the version is so unfriendly to Mozi..."
All eyes turned to Su Mo, who was sitting in the corner. Su Mo was wearing a plain black short-sleeved T-shirt, leaning back in his chair, holding his ever-present black thermos.
He simply stared calmly at the familiar or unfamiliar IDs on the screen, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
"They're training with tanks for defense." Su Mo unscrewed the lid of his cup, blew on the steam, and his voice sounded particularly calm yet powerful in the quiet conference room.
"You can't win a game by just playing defense."
He took a sip of water, a restrained sharpness flashing in his deep eyes.
“As for the version... the designer can change the equipment stats, but he can't change the timing of minion wave convergence.” Su Mo stood up, picked up his peripheral bag, and said, “Let’s go to the training room. Let them see how an armor-piercing assassin can make holes in a tank.”
Mingkai and Abu exchanged a glance, and the corners of their mouths couldn't help but turn up.
As long as this man's spirit remains, even against the current meta, EDG will still be an insurmountable mountain.
……
June 10th.
Shanghai Hongqiao Performing Arts Center.
The opening match of the 2024 LPL Summer Split has officially begun!
To boost viewership, the organizers arranged a super-highlight event on the first day – a rematch of the Spring Split Finals, with EDG facing off against BLG!
This is also an absolute battle between revenge and title defense.
Outside the venue, the red and black EDG fans and the light blue BLG fans were clearly separated, with cheers rising and falling.
Inside the venue, the lights were dazzling and every seat was taken.
The commentary team today consists of LPL's "Haier Brothers"—Wawa and Miller, plus special guest commentator Rita.
"Welcome to the opening match of the 2024 League of Legends Pro League Summer Split!" Wawa's signature off-key opening ignited the atmosphere. "I'm Wawa!"
"I am Miller!"
"Hello everyone, I'm Rita." Rita was dressed in a well-tailored business suit and had exquisite makeup on. Although she tried her best to maintain objectivity in her commentary, her beautiful eyes couldn't help but glance at the player channel shown by the broadcast.
"Today's opening match is truly the focus of everyone's attention!" Miller couldn't hide his excitement. "EDG shone brightly at MSI, and Mozi's Draven top lane performance shocked the world. BLG has also been working hard during the off-season, and Bin clearly stated in the pre-match interview that they must overcome that mountain called 'Mo' today no matter what!"
“Yes,” Wawa replied, “but we have to mention the summer split patch. In patch 14.10, Mythic items were removed, warrior items were heavily nerfed, and tank items were buffed across the board. In this patch, the top lane is basically two tanks fighting each other. For Mozi, who is extremely good at split-pushing and mechanically demanding heroes, this is a huge challenge.”
“I don’t think so,” Rita retorted with a smile, her tone filled with undisguised trust. “When have you ever seen Mozi compromise because of a version update? I think he will still surprise us today.”
Accompanied by a deafening battle song, the two teams took to the stage.
Su Mo walked at the front of the group, his expression calm and his steps steady. He placed his thermos next to the computer desk and skillfully plugged in the peripherals.
The camera focused on him, and the entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.
"Mo!!!"
Sitting at the other end of the battle area, Bin looked at the cold face on the screen, took a deep breath, and felt a slight sweat on his palms.
"Alright, both players are ready! The first game of the BO3 series, the opening match of the Summer Split, has officially begun!" Wawa shouted.
BLG is on the blue side, and EDG is on the red side.
Ban players in the first three rounds.
BLG coach BigWei didn't hesitate at all and immediately banned Gwen, Fiora, and Camille.
"Still the same old formula! Targeting Mozi's split-push carry!" Miller said.
EDG opted out of picking Vi, Rakan, and Ahri.
Enter the first round of picking.
BLG first picks Sejuani, Xun's signature jungler.
EDG locked down [Tree] and [Aphelios] on the first and second floors.
BLG secured the last-resort combination of Jinx and Tahm Kench on the second and third floors.
EDG added Lulu as a support on the third floor.
Entering the second round of BP.
EDG banned Azir and Taliyah, limiting Knight's rhythm.
BLG continued their relentless targeting of the top lane, banning Renekton and Gnar.
"Five bans on top laners! This is already the umpteenth time this season we've seen Mozi receive this kind of treatment!" Wawa exclaimed.
On the fourth floor of EDG, Xiao Yue has locked onto [Annie].
On the fourth floor of BLG, Knight chose Syndra.
At this moment, all the pressure fell on BLG's fifth-floor top laner.
Bin sat in the chair, his gaze firm, without the slightest hesitation.
"For Freljord!"
Ornn, the Mountain's Hidden Flame!
locking!
"Ornn! Bin has picked the ultimate tank!" Miller raised his voice. "This is the answer to the current meta! Ornn is not only insanely tanky under the tower, but he can also farm items on his own. If we can drag this out to thirty minutes, and Ornn finishes upgrading his teammates' items, BLG's margin for error in team fights will increase exponentially!"
Now, all the suspense rests on EDG, who are on the fifth floor of the red team.
"Mozi, the other side is determined to play like a turtle." Mingkai stood behind Su Mo, his brows slightly furrowed. "Ban five light warriors. Outside, the only heroes who can counter Ornn are melee champions like Sion and Maokai. Should we pick a tank to farm against them?"
Su Mo gently turned her neck, her eyes calm as still water.
“Smurfing? I don’t have time for that.”
His index finger slid lightly across the mouse.
A dark portrait, shrouded in a red cloak and wielding a giant scythe, lit up.
"The harvest has begun!"
[Shadow Reaper - Kayn]!
The entire room fell silent for a second, then erupted in an uproar!
"Kayn?! Top lane Kayn?!" Wawa's eyes widened, wondering if she was seeing things. "Isn't this a jungler? Playing him in the top lane? And against Ornn at that?"
Miller was also a bit confused: "Although Kayn can transform into Red Kayn (Darkin Avatar), and the percentage-based damage is indeed good against tanks, Kayn's laning ability in the early game is extremely weak! Ornn can easily poke with Q and W under the tower, and Kayn can't even farm the lane. What kind of bizarre understanding is this, Mozi?"
Rita covered her mouth and chuckled, her peach blossom eyes sparkling with excitement: "Who said Kayn is weak in lane? As long as he can trigger his energy transformation, Red Kayn can kill even under the tower!"
locking!
Game loading.
The director very considerately locked the camera on the road.
Su Mo's Kayn bought a Doran's Blade and a health potion.
Rita covered her mouth and chuckled, her peach blossom eyes sparkling with excitement: "Who said Kayn is weak in lane? As long as he can trigger his energy transformation, Red Kayn can kill even under the tower!"
locking!
Game loading.
The director very considerately locked the camera on the road.
Su Mo's Kayn bought a Doran's Blade and a health potion.
At one minute and thirty seconds, the entire army launched an attack.
Accompanied by an exciting system notification sound, the two sides' minion waves converged on the top lane.
Bin played Ornn very cautiously. He learned the Q skill [Volcanic Strike] at level 1 and hid behind his own ranged minions with his massive body, trying to use the maximum range of the Q skill to finish off enemies and harass Kayn at the same time.
But Su Mo doesn't play by the rules at all.
Instead of learning W to scratch the surface at level one, he immediately leveled up his Q skill, [Giant Scythe Sweep].
Just as Ornn raised his hand and slammed a pillar of lava into the ground.
Su Mo clicked the mouse lightly. Kayn did not retreat. Instead, he rushed forward towards the direction of the lava pillar, using his Q skill to dash forward. He just barely grazed the edge of Ornn's Q skill, and the second part of the spinning slash directly scraped against Ornn's thick armor!
"Crack!"
The sound of a sickle piercing flesh rang out.
A faint sphere of dark red energy detached from Ornn's body and floated lightly into Kayn's chest. (End of Chapter)