Chapter 4: Factory, Do You Believe in Light!

Clearlove asked the question that had been weighing on his mind in one breath.

However, Su Mo did not respond.

Because a notification had just appeared from the system in his mind.

【Detected that the host’s behavior has successfully tormented his teammates and coach】

【Received +1 Torment Point from teammate Clearlove】

【Received +1 Torment Point from Aaron】

【Received +1 Torment Point from Meiko...】

"What was that, Changzi?" Su Mo snapped back to reality, tilting his head to look at Clearlove, who was tugging at him.

"I asked if you’ve ever played Zilean..." Clearlove repeated through gritted teeth.

Upon hearing this, Su Mo put on a serious and earnest expression. "Changzi, do you believe in the light?"

Clearlove froze.

Wait... Changzi?

This nickname...

Didn't he always call him Kai-ge before?

Why is he calling him that now?

But he didn't have time to dwell on it. He said, "I believed in it before you picked Zilean, but now... damn it, I’ve never seen anyone play Zilean top in my entire life!"

Seeing that he couldn't bluff Clearlove, Su Mo coughed. "You know, with my skill level, playing a standard top laner definitely wouldn't be enough to beat Letme. It’s better to play something no one has seen before; it might have miraculous effects. Besides, I’ve practiced it in private. You guys have to trust me."

Before Clearlove could question him further, Su Mo continued, "Look, Changzi, you’re playing Rengar. When you ult, I can give you a speed boost and put a bomb on you to gank. Who could possibly escape your pursuit?"

"Plus, the old man has his most important ultimate—the revive. It’s great for protecting the carries in team fights, right?"

Su Mo’s words left Aaron, Clearlove, and the others lost in thought.

Although it sounded somewhat logical, something felt wrong everywhere.

"Sigh, whatever," Clearlove finally sighed. "The game is lost anyway, and you’re definitely taking the blame for this. Your professional career might just end here, so prepare yourself mentally."

Clearlove wasn't convinced by Su Mo; he had simply accepted that they were going to lose.

After this match, he estimated there would be no place left for Su Mo in the professional scene.

"Alright, alright," Meiko interjected. "Since it’s already locked in, there’s no point in saying more. Let’s just play well; it’s not like we have zero chance."

The mid laner, Scout, also spoke in his kimchi-accented Mandarin: "Anyway, we’ll focus on mid and bot. Top just needs to farm normally."

Only Zet, the ADC, remained silent.

At this moment, Zet was in a state of semi-autism.

The pressure of laning against Uzi was like Mount Tai.

He was out-CSed every game, and the bot lane always lost to the opponents... even when the mid and jungle constantly helped them.

Even though everyone had fought their way up from the ranks of millions of Challenger players, why was the pressure so immense when facing Uzi?

After several games in a row, he was starting to doubt his life.

If he didn't lack a substitute ADC, he would have wanted to fake an illness and step down like Mouse, finding a sub to take the blame.

Even though they had this newcomer Su Mo now, he didn't have to worry about taking the blame, but he was still on the verge of a breakdown.

While the EDG members were arguing, RNG locked in Gragas as their final pick. Both sides had finished their selections.

Aaron, who had been silent in the background, saw the game countdown ending and sighed again. "That’s it. The game is starting. Everyone, check your masteries."

Prompted by him, Su Mo quickly clicked on the "Thunderlord's Decree" mastery, as well as "Bandit."

The "Thunderlord" mastery went without saying; it was identical to the Electrocute of later versions and was a must-have for burst AP champions.

For Su Mo, Thunderlord wasn't the important part.

What mattered was the "Bandit" mastery in this version!

"Bandit": Gain 1 gold for every nearby minion killed by an ally. Hitting an enemy champion with a basic attack grants 3 gold (10 gold for melee), with a 5-second cooldown.

If you want to be annoying, the gold-stealing mastery is essential.

After finishing his masteries, both sides officially entered the game.

The coaches left the stage.

At the commentary desk, Guan Zeyuan and Rita began analyzing the team compositions.

Guan Zeyuan: "The BP phase is over. We can see that Zilean is indeed Mo's final choice. Let’s take a look at both lineups."

"EDG's lineup

Top: Chronokeeper — Zilean

Jungle: Rengar

Mid: Ryze

Support: Karma

ADC: Varus

Looking at RNG's lineup

Top: Shen

Jungle: Gragas

Mid: Taliyah

Support: Lulu

ADC: Caitlyn"

"From the lineup, EDG on the blue side is leaning towards scaling, but they lack a frontline. We can only wait and see what kind of performance Mo can bring us."

"RNG's lineup on the red side looks like it favors early-to-mid game tempo, especially the roaming ability of Taliyah in the mid lane, which is top-tier. Xiaohu's 7/0/5 record in the last game already proved his strength."

After Guan Zeyuan finished, Rita also shared her opinion: "Yes, but I’m wondering if RNG will target EDG's top lane as a breakthrough point this game?"

That question was also being discussed within the RNG team.

"No way, how does this Mo have the guts? Isn't he looking down on us a bit too much?"

Letme looked indignant, feeling insulted. "If I had known, I shouldn't have picked Shen. I should have picked Fizz or Camille and just crushed him!"

Mlxg laughed. "What, you don't have the confidence to crush him just because you picked Shen?"

"Heh," Letme sneered. "I can still beat him up with Shen, though maybe I won't be able to kill him too many times."

"Junze, go easy on him. Don't make the newcomer go autistic; leave him some face," the support, Ming, chimed in. "Solo killing him two or three times is enough."

Junze, as Ming called him, was Letme's real name.

"No, at least five times," Letme shook his head. "Otherwise, the audience will think I'm a pushover."

"Fair enough," Mlxg said, purely enjoying the chaos. "Then I won't come top this game. I'll give you a chance to show off."

"Don't come, definitely don't come!" Letme rolled up his sleeves and cracked his neck. "It's time to show my true skills. Heh heh heh..."

Only Uzi remained silent. His expression was indifferent, chewing gum in front of the camera as if nothing else could catch his attention. He looked quite relaxed.

Compared to the gloomy atmosphere within EDG, RNG was cheerful and lighthearted.

In the eyes of the RNG members, EDG was already a turtle in a jar.

"Welcome to League of Legends!"

The game sound effect suddenly rang out.

All ten players entered Summoner's Rift simultaneously.

"It’s starting. Let’s not do a level one invade; just hold our positions," suggested Mlxg, the shot-caller for RNG. "Don't give them any chances early on. We have a massive advantage top anyway, so Xiaohu and I will focus on mid-jungle synergy to play around Uzi's bot lane."

No one had any objections, and they all headed to their positions in the jungle.

Letme, however, was a bit slow to leave the base.

He had originally bought a Doran's Shield, but as he was about to leave the fountain, he hesitated.

Doran's Shield was almost a mandatory purchase when playing against ranged champions—a god-tier item for early-game survival.

But...

What he wanted wasn't survival.

It was... total annihilation!

He had already boasted; if he couldn't crush Mo and it turned into a peaceful farming lane, he would lose so much face.

Thinking of this, Letme decisively refunded the Doran's Shield and bought a Doran's Blade instead.

He was going to make this arrogant newcomer feel fear!

Feel despair!

(End of chapter)