For now, Deklin's just a fourth-year magi looking for a post-midterm vacation from Earth. When a failed portal spell strands Deklin on a dangerous, massive worldshard, he unwillingly embarks on an adventure where spire climbers compete for ever higher standings, and cultivators bind magical aspects to strengthen their spirits. Transformed into a dragonblood and branded as an outlaw, Deklin is forbidden from advancing past the first threshold alongside his growing band of exiles. To seek anything more is to risk execution and slavery. To attain limitless progression, Deklin and his group must defy the Lightbound kingdoms and their corrupted heroes and carve out a cursed and forgotten path of darkness. Dive into the Scale & Sea series. This portal fantasy fusion of LitRPG and cultivation blends tower climbing, stat leveling, and guild building garnished with nostalgic humor.