First playthrough, probably took a wrong turn? Help!

[quasi palm]

Reposted starting message

So, it's my first playthrough, at some point the little yellow thing that helps you was pointing towards something (smiley face looking thing?) in the Drainage System, but I didn't really understand where it wanted me to go so I just kept going wherever until I found a max karma gate.

Currently I am spawning at Filtration System and the only ways forward are a seemingly impassable part of Subterranean and towards a place called Depths, also seemingly impassable, sometimes I can just go bellow the creepy psychokinetic guys and sometimes I can't?

Anyway, I'm guessing this isn't where the other slugcats are, lol... Do I have to go back to the Drainage System?

[solar socket]

There are always multiple entrances and exits through areas

[untold cloud]

Yeah, true, although Subterranean is quite tricky

[arctic fjord]

that's not very helpful

I just want to know if I screwed up not following the little guy properly and being here this early

[coarse perch]

Not really tbh