The nightclub was hopping. Laser lights flashed in every direction, and loud music blared across the dancefloor. Hundreds of men and women from dozens of different races moved to the music as the citizens of the Integrated Universe celebrated another new planet entering the fold. Of course, it would be a long time before the people of the recently integrated planet would be celebrating much of anything.
Regu ignored the raucous celebration for the moment. There would be plenty of time for dancing and cavorting later. He pushed his way through the crowd toward the back of the club where a table full of beautiful women waited for him. He caught the attention of the Tigrian waitress, also very attractive, and motioned for her to bring a round of drinks to his private booth.
When he reached his c-shaped table, five ladies turned batting eyelashes and pursed lips toward him. Two sisters, he couldn’t remember their names, sat at the back of the table. Low cut, colorful dresses that appeared to be made of iridescent feathers hugged their green skin. He had met them the night before and they had invited themselves along when they heard he would be at the New Integration Party. Regu didn’t mind presumptiveness.
On the left side of the booth were two alluring ladies with ochre skin and bright emerald-green eyes. One was tall and thin and had headlined the fashion show the previous night. Regu smiled as he remembered the outfit she had worn that was supposedly inspired by the apparel of the newly integrated world. Something called a string bikini. She wore a more modest yellow dress now, but it couldn’t cover up his memory of her on the runway. Her friend had also been in the fashion show, but he didn’t remember seeing her.
The fifth woman was a truly exotic Nymph named Aethisia. She had blue-green skin and wore a top that was apparently inspired by the bikini. Her chestnut hair was pulled back in a braid that ran down her nearly-bare back. She had the delicate facial features typical of her race and a curvaceous body that was not so typical, but much appreciated. Regu had just met her that night and he looked forward to getting to know her better.
The blue-skinned man slid into the booth next to Aethisia who draped one arm around his shoulders as she ran the back of her other hand down his chest suggestively, her lips whispering promises in his ear.
Regu smiled widely, ignoring the daggers the other four women glared at the Nymph. He always loved New Integration parties, and this time, it was better than ever. He had been a Guild Trainer for over a dozen new integrations and an Elite Trainer for the last three, but this time, he’d won the lottery, so to speak, and had been randomly assigned number one. He would train and represent the warrior with the highest potential on this new planet: the very first person to reach Level 10.
He had done well as an Elite Trainer the last three integrations, all things considered, but each of his previous charges had been rather late to level up. The first two had been ambitious enough, but they simply couldn’t overcome their level deficiency. He had admired their chutzpah as they refused to back down from any challenge. Even the ones that ultimately cost them their lives.
The third one had recognized how far behind she was and had decided to dedicate herself to serving those that had seized control of her world. Regu had actually collected a substantial commission from her for a very long time. The payments had stopped coming a few years ago, though, which meant she had ultimately met her end, but he hadn’t cared enough to find out what had happened. He had learned early in his career not to become attached to his clients as many of them didn’t live all that long after their worlds were fully integrated.
As he enjoyed the ministrations of the affectionate Nymph, Regu summoned a holographic display of the odds for the just-started integration and the planet’s Kingmaker competition. His attention was drawn to the over-under for surviving the integration process. The gambling houses had it set at 63 percent. It was a shockingly low number. He couldn’t remember the last time that more than a tenth of a planet’s population didn’t survive the initial integration. The technology was nearly flawless now, and only the very old or very ill struggled with the mental and physiological enhancement process. It was a vast physical and mental upgrade that was designed to make people stronger and healthier, after all.
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Regu was savvy enough to know that if the gambling houses were posting the lowest over-under in recent memory, it was almost certain to be even lower. If he had to guess, he’d bet that this new planet had been completely unprepared for integration. It was the only way nearly forty percent of a planet’s population would die in the first twenty-four hours.
He didn’t know if this would help him personally in his quest to become Kingmaker, but he was certain that the population of the newest IU planet would be significantly smaller come tomorrow.
With a mental command, he wagered seven hundred million IU credits on the under.
Regu glanced at the other prop bets before he looked at the Kingmaker odds. He was forbidden from wagering on the competition as he was not only participating but sitting at the top of the board with eight-to-one odds. The next best odds were twenty-to-one and belonged to his (mostly) friendly rival Thalox, an Incubus who had nearly won the previous integration’s Kingmaker competition. Regu was exceedingly thankful that Thalox had not drawn a good number. The fact that the Incubus had the second-best odds, even though he would be working with the fifty-third person to reach Level 10, was a testament to how good the betting world thought he was.
The rest of the odds were all lower than thirty-to-one due to the large number of rookies in the field. In fact, other than Regu, everyone else who would be training the first ten people to reach Level 10 were all rookies. And if that wasn’t enough, this new integration was on a planet with a single dominant species, so he didn’t have to worry about his client having any significant deficiencies like being a halfling on a planet full of giants or something.
A lot of bettors thought that even eight to one was too low, and an obscene amount of money had already been bet on Regu. Those bets would likely continue to pour in until he was assigned to the first Level 10, which would mark the close of betting.
With a thought, Regu dismissed the holographic betting screen just as the orange-and-black-striped waitress returned with a tray of drinks. She ran her free hand through Regu’s black hair, earning a glare from the two sets of sisters while Aethisia curled her lips in a snarl.
“Are you going to finally rise to the top this year?” the waitress purred as she placed the glasses on the table.
“I’m already at the top, Ty’Reesha.” Regu smiled at her and mentally sent her a thousand-credit tip.
The Tigrian waitress raised an eyebrow as she was notified of the tip. “You may be on top now, but I like a man who finishes on top.” She ran her tongue over her lips seductively and blew him a kiss, earning another snarl from Aethisia. The waitress’s sultry eyes lingered on him for a moment before she turned and left.
Regu leaned back into the Nymph’s embrace and put a hand on her thigh, giving her something other than the waitress to focus her attention on. He didn’t doubt the veracity of Ty’Reesha’s comment, but he knew she was just teasing. They had been friends far too long to ruin that with a tryst, and they both knew he wasn’t looking for a real relationship. That didn’t stop his eyes from lingering on her for a moment as she walked away, before turning his attention back to the ladies at his table.
I could definitely get used to this, he thought with a smile. He was the odds-on favorite to be the Kingmaker for this integration. Literally everything had fallen into place perfectly for him.
Nothing was guaranteed, of course, but he was the largest betting favorite in at least a dozen integrations. With several weeks before anyone on this new world would reach Level 10, he had plenty of time to make all the preparations he needed to ensure his client jumped out to a big lead and never looked back until they were literally the ruler of this new world.
And then he, Regu Rach’tha, would have all the fame, fortune, and women he could ever want. His client would be the King of a world, but he would be one of the most famous people in the entire universe.
There would be time enough to worry about that later though. Regu lifted his glass high, and everyone at the table followed suit.
“To the next Kingmaker!” one of the green-skinned ladies said throatily.
Regu laughed and threw back the drink in one big swallow.
It will be good to be Kingmaker!