Chains that glowed an array of colors sprang out of nowhere and slithered through the Panther Queen's body, restricting its giant torso and legs that could break a mountain in half.
These chains were gigantic, fit only for the Panther Queen herself. He didn't know of its composition but it was something that was able to withstand the natural decay of the Panther Queen's Miasma body.
He had seen all kinds of metals and techniques, but he had never seen something like this. This was a chain that seemed to take hold of the very existence itself, not just the physical body but the mind and soul.
It also came out of nowhere, with no indication from reality that it would suddenly burst into existence. It was as if it was the Universes' own hands reaching into this small part of the realm to hold the Queen into submission.
The Panther Queen didn't seem to care as these prismatic chains restrained her. She expected it. And judging from the lack of reaction from the Puma Soldiers and Miasma Panthers that were guarding her, Zoran guessed that they could not see those giant chains or else they would have panicked and died of something similar to a heart attack for Miasma Beasts.
These chains only appeared after the Panther Queen said that promise to Zoran. Could they have been related?
Immediately, Zoran thought back to his life before the regression—back to when he swore among all the 10 Supreme Beings that he would do them no harm. That ended up backfiring as he suddenly lost all control of the Yi energy in his body because he 'betrayed' his own words.
The Ocean God said something similar as well. "On our level, words are stronger than any techniques of the mortal world."
Did Zoran's downfall back in the previous timeline caused by these mysterious prismatic chains. Does that mean that if the Panther Queen breaks her word, she would suffer the same fate as Zoran and lose control over the energy in her body? After all, they both swore on their names.
His body must have been restricted by these chains back then, hence why the Supreme Beings were so intent on having him recite the words out loud in front of all of them. Back then, he didn't notice nor did he feel these prismatic chains restrain him, but now he could see it as clear as day.
Was his regression the key to why he could finally see these chains?
"You may not know this, but speaking those words is already a risk for me," the Panther Queen said.
Zoran looked at the Queen of the Miasma Panthers and wracked his brain for any memory of her existence. He recalled every book about Beasts and Miasma. He recounted every myth and legend sung around in folk songs. He thought back to every piece of knowledge he had before his regression, but he could not find anything about the Panther Queen.
If the Queen could command these prismatic chains the same as the Supreme Beings, then it would not be exaggerated to say that they were, at the very least, on the same level. She must have some control over the Laws of the Universe the same as them.
It was highly unusual for Zoran to have not met creatures that were at the peak of cultivation, much more not even having even heard of them. In the history of wars, conflicts, and struggles for control over the world, the Panther Queen has not been written in any history books.
There were two possibilities: one was that the Panther Queen died very early on back in Zoran's previous timeline. If she died here in the realm of Miasma where no living thing could survive to tell the tale, then that would explain why nobody knew of her existence.
The other possibility was that she had just remained dormant in the realm of Miasma without anyone's knowledge. If that was possible, then that would mean that there could be other things in this world that were at the same level as the Supreme Beings that Zoran had not heard of. He was more inclined to believe the first one.
"How are you able to speak to me?" Zoran asked the Panther Queen.
"I am not speaking in the language that you are thinking of. I am simply transmitting my thoughts to you," the Queen answered.
A high-level mental communication technique. The Panther Queen was much more skillful than Zoran thought.
Most mental communication techniques required a two-way connection between the people who were transmitting their thoughts. There needed to be a common link point between them.
In normal human terms, most humans speak to each other through a face-to-face conversation or through a transmitting phone that connects people regardless of distance. One cannot simply talk in person without a phone and expect the other to hear those words 10 kilometers away.
But there were high-level communication techniques that transcended that limitation like the one that the Panther Queen was using. It was like using a phone to speak directly to a person's mind and translate it from any language into something that could be understood.
The Panther Queen's existence became even more enshrouded in mystery. It even knew that Zoran was a human.
"What are you?" Zoran asked.
The Panther Queen looked at him and answered, "I have already announced who I was."
"Are you one of those Supreme Beings?" Zoran prodded. He already knew she wasn't, but wanted to know if the Queen knew of their existence.
"No I am not," the Queen answered. A moment passed and she looked at Zoran. "If you are asking if I am on the same level of existence as them, then the answer would be dependent on the situation."
Zoran stayed silent and stared at the Panther Queen, as if compelling her to continue with her explanation.
"We cannot compare our strengths. My definition is different from theirs."
Zoran nodded. The Panther Queen's whole body was encompassed in Miasma and used it as energy, which was vastly different from the Supreme Beings who used Yi energy.
The Panther Queen was different from Zoran as she commanded the very Miasma in this realm as if it was her own body. She used it directly as the source of her energy.
In contrast, Zoran creates his own Miasma in his SSS-class cultivation core by absorbing the Miasma around him and converting it into something that could only be commanded by himself. The same could be said with his Yi energy as it uses the Yi energy of the universe and converts it into pure mythical Yi energy.
"Enough questions. Release my child."
Zoran looks at the prismatic chains still wrapped around Panther Queen and said,
"Alright. I believe you."