Selected

Daniel Aurora thought a jury duty notice would give him a break from the job that had been wearing him down - a healthcare insurance company where denying coverage had become routine, and every decision felt like it could cost someone their life. Instead, he is drafted into The Selected, a new government program that eliminates due process and sends its members into the streets to deliver judgment on the crimes they witness. Given authority he never asked for, Daniel is pushed into a role that changes his life overnight. Life-changing money appears without warning. His access opens every door. And he is trained at a level this country has never seen before. The rules are simple, strict, and final. As the weight of his new role settles in, Daniel struggles to understand whether he is serving justice or becoming another tool of corruption. Every judgment leaves a mark. Every decision forces him to confront the line between right and wrong. He never wanted any of this. But once he steps inside the program, there is no way back - only the truth that he'll take the power they force into his hands, but he will never belong to them.

Hi, my name's Max and I'm one of the Selected. What's the first thing that pops into your head when you read those words? A great hero, chosen from among all the billions of people on Earth? A lucky man who has ended up on an unknown world and gained superpowers? An explorer of new worlds who has discovered his destiny? Well, that's all true, but there is one but . . . Actually, if I'm honest, there are a whole load of buts. And there are rules. And the first rule of the Selected is: "Try not to die. It is expensive and impractical."

Hello again! It's still me, Max, and I'm still one of the Selected! I hope that by now you've lost any illusions you had about the Selected being some kind of elite force of intelligent civilization, chosen to fight against Universal Evil. So far, the only evil I've seen is the buggy System and the lack of basic sanitary facilities while we're adventuring. Also, it would be a real stretch to describe my companions as "elite". As for all the problems that come with being Selected-well, we can handle them! So, everybody was trying to set us up? To hell with them! Yes, we're all on our own, but now we have our very own Dungeon-we just have to get those dumb gnomes to work for us. Oh, and find out more about these goblins that swiped our waystone . . .

Hello again, it's me-Max the Selected. I'm here with my group of degen . . . collectors, "The Selected". By the way, we're already a Great Group. So, you can call me Lord Max now. Would you be scared to declare war on a Great Clan? Well, I'm not. I'll take on two at the same time without flinching. Probably. In any case, it's always the right time for good deeds and justice. This world needs a new hero, and it might as well be me . . .

Who's the bravest of them all? Cat lady Mirelle and her Celestial Clan? Yeah, go screw yourself, Mirelle, you and your whole clan! It's bad enough that I'm allergic to you, now you've gone and stayed behind in this world when you should be in the next one. Go on, scram! And take your stupid clan with you. No democracy here, just despotism, tyranny, and the coming of the lord. Which means me, if you hadn't worked it out yet . . . he-he.