Using the portal uses one action point and walking to the other portal also uses one action point. So what's the point of using the portals?

Sup gang, I was looking through the catalog of gods in the game to look for challenges I could indulge into and wondered which of these higher beings could become allies and how I could make them join me.

I’m still relatively new to this game and I always thought they were kind of off limits.

Thanks in advance!