"Through this pipe, and past an opening with seven railings, is the Bottom Nest."
Sewage flowed like a river in the pipe, turbid, foul-smelling, and thick like a swamp, with bubbles occasionally rising to the surface.
A ferry boat, pieced together from scrap metal and synthetic wood, sailed on the pipe's sewage.
The boatman, dressed in tattered black clothes, punted the boat, introducing the Bottom Nest to Alexander and Joan .
Starting from the garbage mountain in the thirteenth district, entering the complex and chaotic hive city pipe system at the pipe outlet in the hive's outskirts,
And then continuing by boat along the pipes, one could reach the Bottom Nest area.
After Joan said, "Doraemon, help Emperor Nobita quickly," in english, Alexander tentatively believed her.
He felt that this indeed sounded like something the Emperor would do.
So Alexander entrusted One-Eye to find a safe route to the Bottom Nest for him. Of course, all expenses incurred were reimbursed by Joan.
Before going to the Lower Nest, Alexander still slightly altered his physique and face with Body Clay, transforming into the appearance of Lion King.
As for Joan, she had hardly exposed her identity, so she only made minor changes with Body Clay.
The boatman couldn't help but glance at Alexander and Joan, who was sitting beside him.
Neither of them had obvious signs of mutation. Why would they go from the Lower Nest to the Bottom Nest for no good reason?
Seemingly noticing the boatman's gaze, Alexander coughed twice and said,
"My little sister has two eyes and a pair of gills on her belly."
"And two mouths on her palms."
Saying this, Alexander nudged Joan beside him with his elbow.
Joan's face turned red, and she nodded in shame.
She raised her hands, revealing two mouths molded from Body Clay in her palms.
Good heavens, two eyes and a pair of gills on the belly, and two mouths on the palms!
This was considered abstract even among the mutants in the Bottom Nest.
The boatman looked quite shocked and couldn't help but look at Alexander again.
He seemed curious about what kind of mutation Alexander had.
Alexander smiled mysteriously, held up two fingers, and said, "I have two."
The boatman's eyes first showed confusion, then an expression only men would understand.
He gave Alexander a thumbs-up: "That's a benign mutation."
"Old man, tell us about things after entering the Bottom Nest."
Alexander leaned on the boat, looking at the boatman and said.
"The Bottom Nest is not comparable to the Lower Nest. It's more chaotic and disorderly. Except for a few settlements, everywhere else is dangerous."
The boatman shook his head and said,
"The Bottom Nest is a bit better now than a few years ago."
"Mainly because two groups of people have almost flattened the entire Bottom Nest."
"One side is the Filthy Blood Group, composed of cultists and mutants, and the other is a cult that worships the Four-Armed Emperor."
The Four-Armed Emperor.
Alexander and Joan exchanged glances.
It seems that in the Bottom Nest, the genestealer aren't even bothering to hide, directly spreading their corruption openly.
But it's estimated that what's exposed on the surface is only the outermost faction of the genestealer.
The core, with more severe mutations and closer to xenomorphs, is probably hidden deeper in the Bottom Nest.
As for the Filthy Blood Group, it sounds a bit like something Mont and Marquite would create. It's unclear if they are the two brothers.
If so, it would be much more convenient.
This is also why Alexander put on this face again, to facilitate meeting with the Mont brothers.
"The first gathering point after entering the Bottom Nest is where those who believe in the Four-Armed Emperor congregate."
Well, the first one is the genestealer' territory.
"Those people are quite good; their managed gathering point is almost as good as the Lower Nest."
The boatman grinned and said,
"The people there speak nicely, and they are all very kind. If you want to settle down, you can stay there."
"But as for believing in their religion, what's the point of mutants believing in the Emperor?"
Saying this, the boatman punted the boat, turning its head to stop beside a damaged railing.
It was a damaged and blocked railing, but the seven wrist-thick iron pillars had all been severed by some sharp instrument, revealing a path to the area behind it.
Alexander and Joan got off the boat, nodded to the boatman, then passed through the damaged railing and entered the passage leading to the Bottom Nest.
Good heavens, where did this bring me?
Is this still the Bottom Nest?
Alexander looked at the gathering point before him with a slight numbness.
This gathering point was built within the abandoned pipe system deep in the hive city.
Dense networks of wires hung between the abandoned pipes in mid-air, with light bulbs emitting yellowish-white light suspended from them, illuminating the surprisingly neat streets below.
The hive city authorities had long cut off electricity to the Bottom Nest, and these glowing light bulbs proved that the residents here could even generate their own electricity.
Houses built from scrap metal and synthetic wood leaned against the pipes, some even directly modifying large pipes as dwellings.
These houses seemed to have been strictly planned, all neatly arranged on both sides of the road, leaving a path that was not particularly wide.
On the houses on both sides of the road, holy images were neatly hung.
They were holy images of the Emperor, drawn on coarse yellow fiber paper with a somewhat defiled purple pigment.
But what made one's scalp tingle was that,
the Emperor depicted had four long, strong arms, spreading out like spider limbs on both sides of his body, as if to embrace something.
If not for the limitations of the surrounding environment, this gathering point would even appear more orderly than the Lower Nest.
What was even more unsettling was that,
the residents here all had genuine smiles on their faces, and their eyes seemed to reveal almost boundless vitality.
At first glance, they seemed even happier and more content than the residents of the Upper hive.
Not long after Alexander and Joan entered this gathering point, they saw that the residents here worked almost tirelessly.
Poverty, chaos, suffering, and darkness were almost synonymous with the Bottom Nest.
But upon entering the Bottom Nest, the first settlement Alexander saw was filled with order, happiness, and diligence.
Alexander cautiously scanned his surroundings.
When the surrounding residents saw Alexander and Joan, they merely offered almost identical gentle smiles, as if welcoming Alexander and Joan.
However, being looked at by so many people with almost the same expression made one's heart feel a little numb.
Alexander subtly put on his Superman Gloves.
Suddenly, a slender woman in a purple robe, with a gentle smile, approached and stood in front of Alexander and Joan.
The woman bowed slightly to the two, trying to appear friendly,
"My two friends, may I trouble you for a few minutes?"
"Please allow me to introduce you to our Father and Savior, the benevolent Four-Armed Emperor."