After the 23rd round of the season, Luton Town fans had plenty to celebrate. The local bars were packed, buzzing with excitement, as their team continued its remarkable ascent up the League Two table.
League leaders, Wycombe Wanderers, had just suffered back-to-back defeats, including a crucial loss to Luton. Meanwhile, other top teams in the standings also stumbled, opening the door for Luton to close the gap. Now, they were just ten points away from the top spot.
Yes, only ten!
For Luton fans, seeing their club erase a once-daunting 30-point deficit was proof that nothing was impossible. Even if the League Two title remained out of reach, securing a promotion spot now seemed more than just a dream—it was a real possibility.
With half the season gone, Luton had accumulated 34 points. Their latest victory over Lincoln City lifted them to 10th place, just one point behind ninth-placed Gillingham and six points away from the final playoff spot in seventh.
At the start of the season, fans worried about relegation, but now they dared to dream of promotion—or even a title challenge.
With 23 matches still to play, there were plenty of opportunities to climb higher. Yet, when asked about Luton's position in a post-match press conference, manager Ethan smirked and said, "We're still twelve points away from the safety mark for relegation…"
The statement echoed Claudio Ranieri's famous approach when Leicester City stunned the world by leading the Premier League in 2015-16. Ranieri often downplayed their title hopes, insisting his team was only focused on avoiding relegation.
Hearing Ethan's words, Lincoln City's coach couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Relegation?
Luton were the most in-form team in the league. The top seven clubs could feel them breathing down their necks. If Luton were in danger of relegation, then the rest of League Two might as well call it quits.
After the press conference, Ethan didn't return to the dressing room. His players were already used to winning—another victory no longer felt like a surprise.
Winning was expected!
This was the mentality Ethan had instilled in his squad: a relentless belief in success.
By the time the team bus arrived back in Luton, it was late. Ethan announced a day off, triggering loud cheers from the players. But he had one more thing to take care of.
Lately, he had accumulated 16 chances in the football card system's lottery draw. Rather than gamble on randomness, he decided to trade them all for a guaranteed green card.
Previous draws had been too unpredictable, often yielding cards with little value. If Luton were to stand a chance against Chelsea in their upcoming FA Cup tie, he needed a reliable boost.
This was Chelsea—a Premier League powerhouse. Their squad was among the best in Europe, featuring world-class talent. Even if Jamie Vardy, Charlie Austin, N'Golo Kanté, and Danny Drinkwater were all in their prime, they would still struggle against Chelsea.
Luton's only advantage was the element of surprise. Luiz Felipe Scolari's team might underestimate them, assuming an easy win. Aside from that, Ethan knew his team had little else in their favor.
Unlike in League Two, where they were becoming a feared side, against Chelsea, they would be massive underdogs. The first step in defeating a superior opponent was recognizing the gap and preparing accordingly.
The glowing interface of the football card system appeared before Ethan once more.
"Are you sure you want to exchange 16 lottery draws for a green card voucher?"
"I confirm."
Goosebumps ran down his arms. He still found the system's prompts amusing, almost like a scripted, cheesy movie line:
"Will you marry her?" "I do."
Shaking off the thought, Ethan focused. A card glowing with blue light appeared in front of him, labeled "Exchange Voucher."
It looked simple—almost lazily designed—but that didn't matter.
This card was exactly what he needed.
Unlike the lower-tier white and yellow cards, the green card had real potential. Some of them could boost a team's overall attributes, even if only by 5%. He had once seen a card that increased passing accuracy by 5%—a small but valuable edge in a game of fine margins.
For a moment, he hesitated, drawn to that particular card. But he resisted.
He had a bigger prize in mind.
Now, he was ready to choose the best possible card.
[Green Game Card: Improves dribbling skills by 15%. Designate a player to use it!]
15%! That's an incredible boost. If you relied on a lottery, you might not draw a card with such an effect even after a thousand tries. Previously, Ethan had spent 16 lottery chances just to redeem a Green Card coupon. But after using it once, he realized it was far more reliable than leaving things to luck. Theoretically, you could even pull a purple-tier card, but the uncertainty made it hard for Ethan to rely on chance.
With this card in hand, he felt more confident about taking on Chelsea in the FA Cup.
Outside the window, the rain drizzled steadily. Ethan shut down the system and walked toward his bed.
It was raining over Stamford Bridge as well.
He hoped the rain wouldn't stop on matchday…
Ethan folded his arms, gazing at the dark sky outside, where occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the clouds.
His phone rang.
It was Jamie Vardy.
Ethan answered with a slight sense of curiosity.
"Boss..." Vardy, usually straightforward, hesitated.
Ethan immediately wondered if another club had come knocking. Luton Town was still just a lower-league side, and with Vardy's performances this season, it wouldn't be surprising if a Premier League team had shown interest.
Ethan had already prepared himself for this possibility. If Vardy was determined to leave, there wouldn't be much he could do.
Ambitious players always seek bigger opportunities.
"Boss..." Vardy hesitated again before finally speaking. "I... I want to start in the FA Cup!"
That's it?
Ethan smiled, relieved that his earlier guess was wrong.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.
"The opponent is Chelsea... I thought our main focus might not be on the FA Cup," Vardy explained.
"Jamie, who told you I'm giving up on the FA Cup?"
"You mean...?"
"Get ready to cause an upset at Stamford Bridge, Jamie!"
"Yes, Boss!" Vardy clenched his fist on the other end of the line, fired up.