Murphy wasn't surprised that Rodrick had broken free of his control.
There was an old saying: Laws change with the world.
Laws are like gravity; just as gravity differs from planet to planet, the Laws of one world differ from another.
This means that the same Magic, the same Dao Pattern, might become completely useless in a different world.
Even if one used a Path borne by a Spirit Root, that was ultimately just a small world carved out by an individual. It could compensate for the differences in Laws to a degree, but it could never withstand the overwhelming pressure of the greater world.
Otherwise, the Wizards in the Old Realm wouldn't have been so brutally suppressed by the Church Court.
By the same logic, when Rodrick crossed from the New Realm into the Nightmare World, the Intimidating Heart Dao Pattern Murphy had left on him was naturally affected.
Its failure was to be expected.
The solution was also simple.
He just had to apply it again.
However, before that...
