I Pray the Lord to Get the Answers During Exams

Chapter 25 - I Pray the Lord to Get the Answers During Exams

Han cleared his throat and explained, "Every explorer and hunter with a high mana concentration has at least one special ability or unique talent." 

"Like… a superpower?" 

"If you put it that way, sort of." 

This revelation changed everything that Carn perceived in this world. If locals could use superpowers, his hunt for Aether could become much more complicated, and it might be difficult to keep his secrets. 

For now, Carn played along, hiding the fact that he could transform, shapeshift, teleport, and much more. 

"Super strength, I guess." 

Han shrugged. "Probably. You snapped a level-2 mannequin in half. That thing's skeleton frame is as strong as an augmented cyborg, you know?" 

"Whoa…" Morra laughed, "Damn, kiddo. You're a Superman? Can you fly?" 

"…Definitely not," Carn lied. All gargoyles could fly by utilizing the gravity-negation spell buff and their stone wings. But they rarely flew as teleportation spells and speed buffs were more efficient. 

"Aw, too bad. Anyway, if you're stronger than cyborgs, you'll be in the special class. But it's gonna be tough for you to catch up with the curriculum this term." 

Morra got up and pulled several books from his shelves, containing 10th-grade material. With a small stack in his arms, he placed them on the coffee table in front of Carn. 

Carn raised an eyebrow as he read the cover of the first book.

[Mana Concentration and Control]

"What is this school teaching, sir? Is this a school for X-Men?" Carn asked with a hint of sarcasm. 

Morra chuckled. "We wish. Not all students with mana are as powerful as movie mutants. Most will probably invest in physical augments, exoskeletons, or nanomachine suits to complement their abilities later. But for now, you'll need these."

Carn's instincts sensed trouble, and his right eyebrow twitched.

In an Asian country, there's a saying: "If your left eyebrow twitches, something good will happen. But if it's the right, misfortune awaits."

He wanted to leave this place ASAP, but he couldn't. He started to get nervous. 

Morra continued, "Since you're transferring mid-semester, you have two choices. First, retake the 10th grade next semester. Or second, go directly into the special class, though there's a lot to catch up on, and it might impact your grades. What's your decision?"

Without hesitation, Carn chose the second option, knowing that the first was a one-way ticket to his mother's wrath. She would have murdered him.

"I'll take the second option, please."

"Good. Now, let's check on something." 

With a mischievous grin, Morra went to his desk and returned with a small stack of papers, placing them in front of Carn. They were exam questions and a few answer sheets. 

"We need to verify your academic knowledge. Let's start with a mock exam, right here, right now."

At the mention of exams, Carn's face turned pale. It had been over 10,000 years since he'd studied anything academic.

Math? 

Science? 

History? 

He might as well go back to the seventh grade and relearn everything!

"N-Now?" Carn stammered.

"Yes. In front of us." Morra snickered. 

Carn resigned himself to his fate. Whatever the result, he was ready for a 26-episode season of his mother's scolding and humiliation that awaited him.

'…I hate exams.'

He picked up the first test paper and read the question. It was a history subject question.

[Describe the influence of dimensional rifts during the Vietnam War and how they affected the outcome.]

Carn's heart sank. This question was impossible for someone like him, who knew next to nothing about this alternate version of Earth.

He scratched his head and glanced at his father and Morra, who were both watching him. Clearly, they were curious about how he would respond.

As the answer to this question would never appear on their faces, Carn returned his attention to the paper, preparing to improvise whatever nonsense he could think of. 

He picked up a pen from the coffee table, bracing himself for the struggle ahead.

Just as his pen touched the paper, he suddenly recalled a spell, which was exclusive to priests and saints. The spell allowed the casters to bless themselves, enhancing their intelligence and clearing their mind.

Wondering if it could help him think more clearly, Carn secretly activated the spell, spending the only gold mark on his left shoulder.

The gold mark vanished, but his chest felt hotter. The warm sensation moved from his heart to his brain, then his eyeballs. 

As soon as the energy connected his eyes and brain, Carn's perception shifted. The sunlight in the room turned a warm yellow, painting everything in shades of gold and orange. On the blank exam sheets in front of him, black words began to appear, visible only to him.

Carn narrowed his eyes and read it. 

[The rifts in Vietnam--the Gate of Valen Desert and the Gate of Medina Sea--introduced foreign elements that affected both the physical and psychological landscape of the battlefield. The Gate of Valen Desert rifts first appeared during the Battle of Hue, transporting the entire region into another world and interrupting the battle…]

Carn widened his eyes in astonishment. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. 

The answers really appeared like this!

Carn's hand and pen started moving, copying the texts that his eyes projected. As Carn was afraid that the blessing's effect would expire soon, he wrote as fast as possible, causing his handwriting to be slightly unreadable. 

…

An hour later, Carn completed all core subjects, totaling 50 questions. The math sections were straightforward as he only had to copy the solutions. However, the essay questions were time-consuming since Carn was forced to copy long paragraphs in the answer sheets. 

The yellow light in his eyes faded right after Carn had copied the last number to the math question. He let out a long sigh of relief that he made it before the blessing effect expired. 

As soon as Carn put away the pen, Han lightly patted Carn's shoulder. 

"Good job. You must have studied hard."

Morra also nodded in approval. He read through the answers and scored the papers in front of everybody. 

History - Full marks.

Math - Full marks.

Science - Full marks.

English and Literature - Full marks.

Morra's smile was so wide that the corners of his mouth almost reached his ears. He praised Carn, "If my kids are as half as hardworking as you, I would buy any sports car they wanted. Man, I'm jealous!"

Carn bitterly smiled. He couldn't claim the credits as he cheated.

"So, are we good?" Han asked Morra for the confirmation.

"Good? No, your son is the Chaddest among Chads! He won't have a problem joining the special class. Hell, when the next year's scholarship spot is up for grasp, I'll reserve one for him!"

"Awesome!" Han couldn't be more proud. He kept patting Carn's back. Because of the heat of a moment, he asked his son, "Carn, is there anything you want after this?"

Meanwhile, Carn was still overwhelmed by the guilt of cheating and the loss of his only holy mark. Upon being asked, he answered honestly. 

"Is there a community church or a place where I can pray?"

Han and Morra were surprised, especially the father. Han questioned his son, "What? I didn't know you were religious. When did you convert?"

Morra answered the question for Carn, "We have a church a block away from our school. You can attend the church service every Sunday at 9 AM."

Hearing that a church was nearby, Carn was relieved. He now had a way to get the holy mark back. Answering his father, Carn turned to Han. 

"Take me to church from now on. That's what I want."

Han raised an eyebrow while Morra nodded, liking Carn more. 

No one hated a hardworking student, especially if he was dedicated to his faith.