Ning grew stunned for a moment.
So it was his fault, wasn't it? Since he was the one that opened the portal, the reason these people had died, the reason so many people were missing; it was all his fault.
He stopped midair as he hovered there with a complicated look appearing on his face. Worry and guilt filled him as soon as he realized that he was at fault for this tragedy.
"I did this…" he said softly. "I'm responsible for all of this."
<No.>
As if a guiding light in a sea of darkness, the System's voice pulled Ning away from blaming himself.
Ning's sorrowful eyes turned to confused ones. "I'm… not responsible?" he asked.
<No>
"Then who is?" he asked.
<A Constellation named Stryxus.>
"Huh? A constellation?" Ning asked. He looked around him at the disaster as well as where the portal was. "So it's a coincidence? No, you said my portal was the reason for all of this. How could it be a constellation if it was because of my portal?"
<That's because Stryxus took note of your portal after you came through and kept it open.>
<The reason for the current disaster is that there was someone manipulating space on the other side of the portal, and accidentally tapped into the space of this world.>
<Due to that accident, the people of this world were teleported into the other universe. The sudden vacuum created due to space manipulation is the main reason for the disaster that came afterward.>
"I see," Ning said. "So… not everyone is in the wrong here. It was just an honest mistake then."
The system did not answer anymore.
Ning quickly pulled himself out of his current state and we around to help people. White and Sorlus were helping pull people out of rubble or carrying them to the closest humans that could help them.
Ning expanded his divine sense and searched for more he could help. He found a few people nearby that desperately needed help, but before he could move, he saw something else.
Apostles were already on the scene as well, far around the world. Some came from Canada, and some from Mexico. The ones from the USA were still helping on the eastern side of the disaster.
Ning, however, wasn't concerned about any of them. He was more so concerned about the girl in a bloody dress that was helping people.
That alone wasn't something that would make him stop in this current situation, but there was something else that made him stop and put on an angry face.
"Trust in God Stryxus. It will all be okay," the girl said. "God Stryxus will save you, just like he saved me."
Ning teleported instantly, arriving next to the girl. The girl turned around and almost instinctively moved away from him out of fear because of the look on his face.
"Who… who are you?" the girl asked.
Ning ignored the girl for a second and turned toward the elderlies that were trapped inside a half-crushed vehicle. There were some that had already died, that he could do nothing about, but he could save the ones that were still alive.
He threw away the rocks that were crushing the van to give the elderlies some relief. Then, he teleported them away.
The living ones arrived next to a hospital, mostly bloody and bruised, meanwhile, the dead ones arrived nearby where they were gathering the corpses.
Once it was done, he finally turned towards the girl. He looked from head to toe first before asking her, "You are Stryxus' Apostle?"
"I- I am. God Stryxus gave me my powers to help everyone today," the girl said.
"Today?" Ning asked suspiciously. "You gained your powers today?"
"Ye-yes? Is something wrong? Who are you? Why are you here?" she asked.
Ning didn't answer. Instead, he simply thought of something. Constellations were beings that only truly thought about themselves. So why would he care about humans dying? Did he feel responsible somehow? Just like Ning had mere moments ago.
As he thought that for more than a couple of seconds, the answer became obvious.
No Constellation would ever think about anyone other than themselves, so whatever Stryxus was doing was for himself.
Ning didn't immediately jump to conclusions, however, at least not without confirming it with the system first.
<He does intend to use this tragedy to make a name for himself. He is trying to make something out of a wasted investment>
Ning finally got mad. "That bastard!" he shouted.
He turned towards the girl with full anger on his face. The girl stepped back a bit in fear, but Ning would do nothing to her. After all, it wasn't her fault.
The girl most likely accepted the request because of what had happened today.
"Go, help more people. Do it fast," he said.
Ning was angry and he wanted Stryxus to pay for it, but that would have to wait. For now, he needed to save the people that were in trouble.
His divine sense expanded once more, looking for everyone that needed immediate attention.
He teleported around, saving people as well as healing them if their wounds were serious. He went around remaking bridges and clearing roads too so help could arrive where it was needed quickly.
He helped in the tragedy as well as he could, and it all finally came to an end after he saved the final person from a dangerous situation some 3 hours later.
There were still others that needed his help to some extent, but they could use the ones from other people too. They could afford to wait.
Ning sighed in relief after everyone in danger was safe. Sorlus and White returned not long after as well.
"You guys did well," Ning said. "I would reward you under normal conditions, but times are desperate. So instead of that, I will require you to do one more thing, White."
"What is it, Master?" White asked.
Ning gave a small smile. "Would you mind going back home?"
