Mikael_Guerrero_3059

In a world where nearly everyone awakens to powerful abilities at the age of fourteen, Ren Kisaragi remains powerless. Scarred by the trauma of his father’s death in a dungeon collapse, his awakening never comes, leaving him to survive as a scavenger—harvesting monster corpses to support his ailing mother and little sister, Yui.
Looked down on by hunters and ignored by society, Ren bears the weight of his family’s survival with quiet determination. But everything changes the day he encounters a forgotten creature deep within a dungeon. Marked by a strange symbol, Ren unlocks a terrifying new power—not from the world of light, but from the void itself.
As dungeons grow unstable and ancient threats awaken, Ren begins a dangerous descent—not just into the depths of the earth, but into the heart of what he truly is. Guided by pain, grounded by love, and shadowed by a power that could consume him, Ren must forge his own path. Not as a hero. Not as a monster.
But as the boy who refused to break.

Dungeons Scavenger:The Boy Who Couldn’t Awaken

A formal notice delivered by armored enforcers. The Council demanded Ren's appearance—no delay, no negotiation. He was to be brought to the Ivory Hall for questioning.

Yui begged him not to go. Their mother gripped his hand until her knuckles turned white. Kaede offered to fight the summons. But Ren only nodded and said, "It's time."

The walk to the Council's chamber was cold and quiet. The city still celebrated him in murmurs and candlelight, but power had a price—and Ren had taken something sacred from the dungeon. Something unnatural.

The Council's chamber was vast, circular, lined with robed figures who sat above and beyond the reach of sunlight.

"Ren Kisaragi," the Speaker began, voice hollow. "You have trespassed forbidden depths. Taken from the heartroot. Defied the bounds placed to protect humanity."

"I saved my mother," Ren replied. Calm. Clear.

Then: "You are to be evaluated, examined, and—if necessary—contained."

Kaede, standing nearby, stepped forward. "You'll have to go through me."

One Councilor raised a hand. "Then you, too, are a threat."

Ren's eyes glowed faintly. "So this is the thanks I get?"

"You are dangerous, Ren," the Speaker said. "Whether you mean to be or not."

Ren looked to Kaede. Then to the guards. Then up.

"I won't run," he said. "But if you try to take me from my family—"

"I'll remind you why the dungeon fears me."

Chapter 22: The Council’s Chains