It was a sensation I had never felt in my entire life.
A very warm space.
The soft touch on my body.
The softness that supports my whole body.
It feels cozy. That seems like the right expression.
“She’s not crying, and she’s really pretty.”
I heard the voice of an elderly woman.
When I opened my eyes, what I saw was a place that looked like a mad scientist’s lab.
Am I still alive?
When I tried to move, I could feel my limbs.
My limbs were definitely supposed to be severed.
Flailing
“Oh my, how cute. How does she open her eyes so wide?”
“I’ve never seen a newborn baby this pretty.”
I had limbs, but they didn’t move well.
They felt very short.
Could it be that they grafted new arms on me?
I heard they were experimenting with combining animals and humans, maybe I was used as a test subject.
What kind of mess have they made?
I tried to say that, but…
“Ung-ae.”
The sound that came from my throat was like that.
“Ung-ae?”
I had turned into a baby.
Suck, suck.
I found myself suckling from a woman’s breast as I assessed the situation.
I hadn’t planned to engage in such actions, but when I got hungry, my instincts took over.
Being a baby changed my behavior too.
Suck, suck.
It seemed like I had been reincarnated.
And this place was completely different from the world I had lived in.
At least, the good news was that this world’s start was different from my previous life.
I had a family to protect my young body.
It was impossible to gather more information right now.
I couldn’t even move.
The feeling of not being able to resist and having to soil my diaper was the worst.
“Now that you’ve had your meal, shall we sleep, baby?”
With a gentle touch on my head, my eyes slowly closed.
It seemed like I would need time to find out more.
Until then, I had to keep my identity hidden, so I would act like a perfect baby.
Thinking back to my time as a spy, this was easy.
Pretending perfectly to deceive the other party was a basic skill.
…To do that, I should sleep like a baby.
“That’s why TS bodies are invincible, you know?”
“What are you talking about? Why did a man become a woman?”
“Anyway, a TS appearance is invincible, and the body is like a god!”
“Please shut up. Stop watching that novel, light novel, thing in public.”
Sitting in a stroller and sucking on a pacifier, I overheard a conversation between some men.
From the context, it seemed TS referred to a change in gender.
“Ah, so that’s what TS is.”
That was similar to my situation.
The new body I had acquired was undeniably that of a little girl.
Even though I was a baby, there was no ‘thing.’
I seemed healthier than when I was a child in my previous life, as the men had said.
“Yeah. Just like that kid.”
The men who were talking looked at me.
Their eyes were wide open in surprise.
“Wow, she’s a perfect baby even from birth.”
“She must be TS… definitely…”
“Hey, let’s go. The kids are waiting.”
The men kept talking among themselves and walked away.
I had become used to those kinds of looks after reincarnating.
Whenever I went out with my mother in crowded places, people would always say things like “pretty.”
It seemed like this world was completely different from my previous life.
There didn’t seem to be mana, and there were no knights.
“But every world has its shadows.”
Still, there must be shadows here too.
There must be assassins hiding in the shadows.
This bright world felt somehow uncomfortable to me.
I should grow up quickly and dominate the shadows.
That’s what I, Nameless, would do.
“Shall we use this diaper for Siyeon?”
My mother asked as she looked at various diapers.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t answer her.
For some reason, it was still hard to speak.
But I had grasped the language of this world to some extent.
With my learning ability, this was easy.
This place was a “mart,” like a market in this world.
Occasionally, my mother would take me around in the stroller.
Thanks to that, I was quickly learning the common knowledge of this world.
Starting as a baby was a bothersome task.
But on the other hand, it meant I could achieve perfect growth.
Being a girl didn’t matter to me.
Whether I was in a female or male body, no one would be able to match me in using the body’s abilities. I was Nameless, the master of shadows and an assassin.
No matter what my body was like, I would overcome it.
“Oh my, honey! Look at our Siyeon!”
“What? My daughter can already walk on her hands at three!”
Clap, clap, clap, clap-
‘…It’s noisy.’
When I was just over two years old,
I started to gain control over my body and began training little by little.
At first, I only did it secretly when I was alone in my room.
But one day, after my mom caught me, I started doing it openly.
Sometimes my mom would even make me do various exercises, so it seemed like she viewed this as part of that.
“By the way, can a three-year-old do a handstand? What if something happens to her?”
“She’s my daughter, there’s no way that will happen! The blood never lies!”
I didn’t know what blood they were talking about.
From what I gathered, it seemed like my dad was a “salaryman.”
It seemed to be the typical job type in this world.
From what I could tell, he was probably like a royal civil servant, judging by his daily overtime and the way he bad-mouthed his boss.
“Wow! Good job! My daughter is doing backflips at three years old!”
At this age, when the joints and bones are still soft, improper movements could lead to lifelong issues.
Of course, using the joints of this young body in this way was not ideal.
But I am Nameless. The ruler of the continent’s shadows.
I had enough confidence in using my body.
Even with delicate joints, I was performing only movements designed to create the best physique.
Thus, while honing my skills, I continued to play the role of a young child.
When I turned five,
Dad brought it up.
“Honey, should we put Siyeon in Taekwondo? They say it’s good for kids’ development if they start young.”
“Really? But Taekwondo might not be suitable for a girl… How about piano instead?”
“Come on, Siyeon has been doing backflips since she was three. Doesn’t she seem better suited for that?”
“But she’s a girl…”
It seemed that Taekwondo was a martial art in this world.
It looked like most commoner children in this world learned martial arts.
There were dozens of dojos offering martial arts instruction.
It was a rather intimidating world.
“I want to do Taekwondo.”
But this was actually a world I found quite appealing.
It meant I could easily access martial arts in this world.
And as for piano, I had already mastered it during my previous life as a spy.
“Siyeon, listen to the instructor and I’ll pick you up in an hour, okay?”
“Uh-huh!”
I nodded vigorously in response.
My mom then gave me a tight hug and kissed me repeatedly before leaving the dojo.
Just so you know, the reason I gave that response was to act just like the other kids in this world.
Whenever I went to the playground, I would observe other children my age.
I analyzed their behavior closely and succeeded in perfectly replicating the behavior patterns of a five-year-old child in this world.
I, Nameless.
When assassinating, I treat the target as if they never existed in this world.
And when I need to hide my identity and act, I play the role as if I truly am that character.
No one should ever suspect me. Not even myself.
That’s the rule for a perfect assassin and spy.
It’s why I, Nameless, was able to rule the shadows of the continent.
“Hello!”
I don’t feel embarrassment.
I haven’t felt any emotions in a long time.
Pretending to be a young child? I can do that anytime.
“Alright, everyone, attention!”
“Ju-mook-!”
“Ju-mong!”
“Ju-mong! Gya-reuk.”
The serious instruction began.
Compared to the bodies of five- or six-year-old children, the instructor was like a giant.
When he shouted “attention,” everyone followed the command and looked ahead.
However, most of the children were either fidgeting or picking their noses, and the lineup was disorganized.
It was a pathetic sight.
If I were in charge, I wouldn’t tolerate such disorder.
“Alright, let’s start with some basic stretching. Neck rotations, one, two, three, four-“
“Two, two, three, four-“
The instruction began with stretching.
Counting from one to eight, each joint was loosened in turn.
I followed the movements without difficulty and completed the stretching.
“Now, let’s begin with kicking. Get ready for the kicks!”
Hey!
It seemed we were about to start learning some real techniques.
The children all shouted “Hey!” and took their stances.
Left foot forward, right foot back. Both hands lifted to chest height.
The stance resembled the assassination stance of the Serergeta clan.
The difference was that this martial art focused on kicking, so the center of gravity was kept low.
“Let’s start with front kicks. First, one! Two!”
The instructor demonstrated the front kick.
He lifted his knee and extended his leg forward in a straight kick.
If he were taller, he could aim for the chin, but it didn’t seem like a very practical technique.
“One!”
“Two!”
“Kiyaah!”
“Buheehee-“
“Two!”
The children lifted their knees to match the instructor’s commands.
They were swaying and struggling to balance.
Their skill level was low.
They couldn’t even do this without stumbling.
But why were they laughing so much? What was so fun about it?
They were all giggling and moving around.
But this was easy for me.
I lifted my right knee and perfectly balanced myself on my left foot.
“Two! Bang!”
Pang-
With the “two” command, I extended my leg straight up.
My right leg stretched out in a perfect line and soared high into the air.
“Now. Next, let’s do the roundhouse kick.”
Immediately moving on to the next technique.
It was a roundhouse kick.
The instructor demonstrated again.
“Alright, lift your knee and bang! Ready? One!”
This seemed like a rather useful technique.
The trajectory of the kick wasn’t long, and the speed was fast.
Also, since the front kick didn’t lift the foot as high as before, there were fewer openings when attacking.
“Two!”
Pang-
I quickly struck with my foot and retracted my leg.
The feeling of kicking the air wasn’t bad.
The martial art was not particularly practical, but it was enjoyable.
“And now, let’s try a side kick.”
After learning a few more techniques, the instructor lined us up in a row.
It seemed like we were going to take turns kicking the mitts.
“Alright, let’s start with the front kick. Hey!”
“Hey!”
“Hey!”
“Hey!”
Everyone rushed forward and kicked the instructor’s mitts one after another.
After each kick, they went back to the end of the line to wait for their turn again.
‘Everyone’s stance is all over the place.’
Everyone’s stance was messy.
They couldn’t even lift their legs for the kick.
When they managed to lift their legs, their upper bodies swayed, and only their knees barely went up.
“Alright, next! Hey!”
Then my turn came.
I took my stance and performed a front kick as I had been taught.
Pang-
“Woah?!”
As soon as my foot made contact with the mitt, the sharp sound of impact rang out.
The feeling of the strike was satisfying.
“Alright, now, next up, roundhouse kick!”
Without pause, we moved on to the next technique.
It was the roundhouse kick.
The instructor demonstrated it again.
“Alright, lift your knee and bang! Ready? One!”
This technique seemed quite useful.
The kick didn’t have a long trajectory, but it was fast.
This was pure talent.
“Siyeon is good at this! How about trying a double front kick?”
“Double front kick?”
“Yeah. Let me show you. Alright, like this. Paf-pang!”
Could she do this?
Five-year-old children, whose balance is not fully developed, usually struggle with the double front kick.
The difficulty begins with the jump. Even extending both legs during the jump is a challenge.
Without enough strength, it’s hard to even jump properly.
Even if they manage to extend both legs, landing is another problem.
Most children at this age can’t maintain their balance or often fall because they can’t place their feet properly.
That’s why they don’t teach the double front kick to most five-year-olds.
But Siyeon.
With her insane talent, I thought she might be able to do it.
“Alright! Let’s give it a try! Hey!”
Suho grabbed two mitts, one held low and the other slightly higher than Siyeon’s height.
If she jumps and gains enough momentum, then with a perfect second front kick, she could strike the second mitt, which would usually be a bit higher than her height.
Of course, that was only if she performed the technique perfectly.
It would be unreasonable to expect a five-year-old to succeed at that.
“But if she manages it.”
If Siyeon’s foot reaches that high.
At that moment, I wouldn’t be able to contain myself.
“Hey!”
Siyeon shouted a battle cry and extended her leg.
Her first leg extended slightly in a preparatory jump and hit the mitt.
Pang-
The mitt wobbled with a light sound.
Then came the real second front kick.
!!!!
Pang-
Siyeon’s double front kick hit the second mitt perfectly.
But that wasn’t all.
Whoosh-
In that moment, Suho dropped the mitt.
The mitt flew and landed with a soft thud on the floor.
“Th-this is…”
Looking at it from an absolute perspective, the power wasn’t that strong.
But it was absolutely something that could never come from a five-year-old child.
This wasn’t muscle-generated strength.
It was the result of perfect posture, perfect movement, and perfect timing.
An ultimate double front kick.
Suho had accidentally dropped the mitt because of the unexpected intensity.
Ding-
“Siyeon, your mom’s here!”
“Mommy-“
At that moment, Siyeon’s mom entered.
This was the opportunity.
I couldn’t let it slip.
This might be the moment when the history of Taekwondo would be rewritten.
“Ma’am! Siyeon is a genius!”