Doing commissions

In an abandoned warehouse,

"Boss, I can't hold it anymore." a big man screamed before he was trapped inside a water bubble... AGAIN.

Unfortunately for the man, before he could escape from the water bubble, the Cryo Abyss Mage threw out an ice shard and he was completely frozen.

"Muahahaha" the three Abyss Mages kept laughing while toying with their victims.

"Boss, we can't win like this!" a woman with purple hair told her boss, who kept shooting while trying to avoid the water bubbles and the ice shards.

"Linda, go get the bomb inside the car!" he told the purple-hair woman.

A few minutes later, the warehouse exploded.

---

In the evening,

Alexy was standing in front of his brother's school gate, like an older sibling who came to pick up his little brother or sister.

"Where the heck is Ivan?" he asked himself.

"Haizzz, look at the map. Your brother is clearly not here." Paimon said.

Alexy looked at the map again. It was only then did he notice a purple mark near him, but no so near.

"What's this purple mark?" Alexy asked.

"It's the location of the commission?" said Paimon. "So your brother is at the purple mark's location, not here."

Alexy rolled the map, and he could see the three purple marks at his house, the location for his three other commissions.

After understanding how to locate the commissions, Alexy turned around and walked to the nearest purple mark, which led him to an alley behind the school, near the school's side gate.

---

"Fatty, give us your money RIGHT NOW!" a boy said while pinching Ivan's chubby cheek.

"Please, stop, I'll give you right away!" Ivan nearly cried, he pulled his wallet out of his pocket.

"Give it to us!" another boy, who was smaller than the other boy, snatched the wallet out of Ivan's hand.

"Hehehe, you are indeed a rich kid. You don't mind sharing money with us, right?" said the bigger boy, while holding the wallet, after he had released Ivan's cheek.

He was so focus on the money that he did not notice his small accomplice was picked up from the ground. Not until he heard the 'slam' sound did he look up-his friend was slammed into the wall.

"Ok, it's your turn!" Alexy said before he threw a punch at the boy's face.

"Argh!" being punched hard, the boy fell down, his face had become swollen.

"You like pinching other's cheek, right?" Alexy asked before he pinched the boy's other cheek.

"Big brother!" Ivan came to Alexy's side and hugged him "How did you know I was here?"

"Big brother's instinct." Alex replied, before picking up the wallet, which had fallen to the ground.

"If I see you brats pick on my little bro again, you will know the consequences. Hehe, since my father is a general, you houses may be flatten by tanks." Alexy threatened the boys, while grabbing the big boy's collar.

"Yes, we understand, BIG BRO!" they replied.

"Hey, he is my big bro." Ivan said.

"Alright, let's go home!" Alexy patted his brother's head and they went home while holding each other's hand.

<<Commission complete>>

<<You gained: 25 EXP, 10 primogems>>

<<AR 0: 25/100 EXP>>

---

"Oh, you two going home together!" their mother was surprised to see her two sons going home together, since it was usually not the case.

"Alright, go wash up while I prepared the dinner!" Alexy's mother said.

"Yes, mom!" Ivan said and ran to the bathroom happily.

"Wait, Ivan, this is yours!" Alexy said and gave the wallet to Ivan.

"Thank you, big bro!" Ivan said and ran off.

After giving the wallet to his brother, Alexy looked at his mother. He wanted to say "Let's me help you with the cooking" but thinking was easier than saying, just as saying was easier than doing.

"What do you want to say to me?" his mother asked, seeing him standing there and kept looking at her.

"Uh...ummm...I want to help you with the cooking." he replied.

"Really?" his mother looked at him with piercing gaze. "What do you really want? More allowance?"

"No, I genuinely want to help you, mom!"

"Maybe there will be a big storm tomorrow. Go wash your face and your hands first. A chef must keep himself clean!"

{A few minutes later}

"I'm done, mom!" Alexy smiled and showed his clean hands to his mother.

"Alright, you can help me make Russian salad. First, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add potatoes and carrot. Return mixture to a boil and add eggs; cook until potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and slightly cool mixture. Chop potatoes and carrot; peel and chop eggs. After that, mix potatoes, carrot, eggs, pickles, peas, ham, and parsley together in a large bowl; stir in mayonnaise until salad is evenly coated." [1]

{40 minutes later}

"I'm done, mom!" Alexy said and showed his mother the product of his - a mess.

"Hmm, I don't think this is on par with my cooking. But I suppose this us ok." his mother said after appreciating the mess Alexy made.

<<Commission complete>>

<<You gained: 25 EXP, 10 primogems>>

<<AR 0: 50/100 EXP>>

---

"I think the salad today is delicious!" Alexy's stoic father said.

"Really? You must have something wrong with your tongue, hubby. This is just so so."

"Woa, Paimon wants to eat too!" Paimon could not stop looking at the food on the table from inside Alexy's head.

---

After dinner, Alexy's father went to the study to do paperwork, while his brother went to watch cartoon.

"You want to help me wash the dishes, too?" his mother asked when she saw him follow her into the kitchen.

"Ah, no. But I think I should help you do the laundry."

{5 minutes later}

"Mom, I should press this blue button, right? Alexy asked while pointing at a button on the washing machine.

"No, press the green one!" his mother turned her head around and said, while still washing the dishes.

<<Commission complete>>

<<You gained: 25 EXP, 10 primogems>>

<<AR 0: 75/100 EXP>>

---

"What is it, Alexy?" his stoic father asked when he saw his son standing outside his study, without looking up.

"Dad, I think your shoulders maybe sore and stiff due to doing so much paperwork..."

"You want to massage my shoulders, then get behind me and do your job." his father knew what he wanted to say and accepted his son's filial massage right away.

{5 minutes later}

"You need to add more strength on my left shoulder, and move to the right a little bit on my right shoulder. Add more strength to my right shoulder also...That's it. Keep going." Alexy's father gave him instruction on massaging.

(Ugh, dad's shoulders are so strong and hard. He is truly a military man.)

"It's late now, so you should go do your homework and go to bed." his father said.

"Yes, dad!" Alex said and left the room.

(Argh, my hands are gone!) Alexy looked at his aching hands.

<<Commission complete>>

<<You gained: 25 EXP, 10 primogems>>

<<AR 0: 100/100 EXP>>

<<AR 0 => AR 1>>

<<0/200 EXP>>

"Congratulations, you are now at AR 1!" Alexy heard Paimon's voice in his head.

"Thank you for completing today's commissions. Here is your reward." He also heard the voice of Katheryne.

<<You gained: 50 EXP, 20 primogems>>

<<AR 1: 50/200 EXP>>

(Totally, I only have 60 primogems, still 100 more to go, ugh!) Alexy thought.

"Hehe, don't worry. As you have reached AR 1, you will receive 100 primogems as starter's gift." said Paimon.

(Really?)

<<You gained: 100 primogems>>

(Yay, I already have 160 primogems. It's time to summon a character!) Alexy ran back to his room with excitement.

"Don't get your hope up. There's a chance it's a stupid book...I mean, catalyst." said Paimon.

---

"I'm glad that Alexy has become mature." said his mother while she was in the master's bedroom with her husband.

"He should be. Maturity is the corner stone to live in this dangerous world." his father replied.

***

[1] https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/234949/authentic-russian-salad-olivye/