Rise of the Hegemon

First week in the quarry

"Wood" Gulfram said, holding a piece of plank in front of my face, "Repeat it."

I stared at the plank for a second before clearing my throat, "W-Wood.." the moment the word left my mouth, I could already tell that the pronunciation was a little bit off.

Gulfram chuckled briefly, then gestured toward the fireplace in the corner of his room, directing my attention to the crackling firewood nestled on the hearth.

"Wood" I repeated the word once again, despite the funny accent and pronunciation, Gulfram was nodding his head in approval, a small smile plastered on his craggy face.

Then, he raised all of his fingers in front of me, "Ten repeat" he blankly stated.

Clearing my throat once more, I began repeating the word 'Wood.' However, on the eighth try, my tongue slipped, turning the word into an incomprehensible jumble. This mishap elicited another chuckle from Gulfram.

"Again.. from start." Gulfram said while crossing his arms

With a sigh, I embarked on the process once more, only to stu