(This auxiliary chapter serves as a reference guide to the cultivation system in the world of Outbreak 190X. It details the standard progression path and the corrupted variant pioneered by Fang Hedi, the Boiler King.)
In the semi-modern era of 190X, cultivation has evolved beyond ancient qi gathering into the Steam Dao—a fusion of spiritual essence and industrial machinery. Practitioners refine steam essence (harvested from coal qi mines, ambient humidity, or forbidden relics) into their dantian, which functions as an internal boiler. Breakthroughs require "overhauls": implanting brass gears, pistons, valves, and pipes into meridians. The body gradually becomes a hybrid of flesh and mechanism, granting immense power but risking catastrophic overheat or corruption.
The standard realms are divided into nine major stages, each marked by mechanical upgrades and increasing risk of boiler failure. Overclocking (pushing qi beyond safe limits) accelerates progress but can cause permanent damage or mutation.
Standard Steam Dao RealmsIron Boiler Realm (Foundation)The entry stage. The dantian is forged as a basic iron boiler.Abilities: Basic steam qi emission (short bursts for strikes or propulsion). Resistance to heat and minor physical enhancement.Visual: Thin iron pipes begin to appear along major meridians. Faint wisps of steam escape pores during cultivation.Typical breakthrough requirement: Refine 100 units of raw steam essence from ambient air or low-grade coal qi.Brass Gear Realm (Core Formation equivalent)First major upgrade: Brass gears implanted in meridians for smoother qi flow.Abilities: Gear shifting for temporary speed/strength boosts. Steam shields (condensed vapor barriers). Basic ranged qi blasts (steam jets).Visual: Visible brass gears rotating under the skin during combat. Overclock produces audible whirring.Risk: Gear jam from impurities causes temporary paralysis.Copper Piston Realm (Nascent Soul-ish)Piston mechanisms installed in core meridians for explosive power bursts.Abilities: Piston-enhanced strikes (fist or sword techniques with massive force). Short jet propulsion (limited flight or dashes). Internal self-repair (slow regeneration of minor wounds).Visual: Piston rods visible along arms and legs, pumping during exertion. Steam vents glow orange.Breakthrough trigger: Survive a full overclock cycle without boiler rupture.Steel Valve Realm (Soul Transformation)Precision valves control qi pressure and flow, allowing fine-tuned techniques.Abilities: Pressure regulation for sustained combat without overheat. Venting excess qi to purge minor corruption. Advanced steam constructs (temporary weapons or armor).Visual: Intricate valve clusters at joints and dantian. Hissing release valves during high-output moves.Key advantage: Can seal infected meridians temporarily, slowing plague spread.Alloy Forge Realm (Void Tribulation)Body alloys (brass-steel-qi crystal composites) replace large sections of flesh.Abilities: Forge internal weapons (summon qi pistols or blades from limbs). High-speed self-repair. Heat absorption from environment as fuel.Visual: Metallic sheen to skin in combat. Floating alloy fragments orbit during breakthroughs.Tribulation: Lightning infused with steam essence tests the alloy's integrity.Aether Steam Realm (Immortal Ascension)Steam qi evolves into ethereal aether steam—lighter, more potent, less heat waste.Abilities: Airship-like qi domains (personal fog fields with floating gears). Long-range teleport via steam rifts. Domain suppression (weaken enemies' boilers).Visual: Body emits faint glowing mist. Eyes may glow softly during domain activation.Peak of "normal" cultivation. Most never advance further.Eternal Engine Realm (Dao Integration)Boiler becomes perpetual motion—minimal external fuel needed.Abilities: Link boilers with allies (shared power boosts) or enemies (forced corruption drain). Near-infinite stamina.Visual: Subtle perpetual hum from dantian. No visible steam leaks in normal state.Void Cogwheel Realm (Peak Mortal)Gears extend into spatial void, manipulating time-space on small scale.Abilities: Slow-motion fields. Mini-teleports. Cogwheel barriers that shred qi attacks.Visual: Floating cogwheels orbit the cultivator, distorting light.Divine Cog Sovereign (God-tier)The theoretical apex. The cultivator becomes a living engine, the world an extension of their boiler.Abilities: Rewrite local reality (turn qi into steam constructs at will). True immortality via perpetual self-evolution.No known living cultivator has reached this realm.The Corrupted Dao: Fang Hedi's Variant (The Boiler King's Path)Fang Hedi rejected the standard path's limitations. His Corrupted Dao integrates the Yin Plague Virus directly into cultivation, turning weaknesses into fuel.
Corrupted Iron Boiler → Early infection creates unstable but hyper-efficient boilers.Mutated Brass Gear → Gears self-replicate, forming redundant systems.Infinite Piston → Piston cycles draw power from infected qi sources (living or dead).Black Valve Realm → Valves release plague steam as a weapon, infecting on contact.Alloy Plague Forge → Body becomes self-evolving alloy-virus hybrid.Aether Corruption → Aether steam carries viral essence, spreading domain-wide infection.Eternal Corrupted Engine → Perpetual motion fueled by absorbed life qi—no cooldown, no fatigue.Void Plague Cog → Cogwheels corrupt space itself, creating plague rifts.Divine Boiler Sovereign → Fang's end goal: Become the sole engine of reality, all existence reduced to fuel for his eternal machine.Fang's path sacrifices humanity for absolute power. His crimson eyes and multiple exposed boilers mark him as the only known cultivator to reach the corrupted Aether Steam Realm without collapsing. He views standard cultivators as "rusty prototypes"—obsolete designs waiting to be recycled.
This auxiliary chapter serves as world-building reference. In the main story, Halen and Rose will gradually discover fragments of this system through relics, survivor tales, and direct confrontations with Fang's minions.
(End of Auxiliary Chapter)