First Time playing, so confused and stressed close to dropping it… I don’t want to!

Hello all, I hope maybe the community can help me because, so far nothing else can. I picked up the game 3 days ago, after playing class roulette I chose to go with Vagabond as everything said it was the easiest for a new player.

Now where my issue begins, I did fine up until the Gate to Storm veil, I max dashed via a guide up until the door to the first “boss” tried that once got messed up, farmed soldiers and got the armor every and weapons, upgraded my weapons, upgraded my stats. Still got messed up, tried caves, messed up, explore all the way to Monroe castle and some cave when a huge bear, messed up. I can’t find new armor, new weapons, it seems like no matter what I do, my end result is the same I can’t survive, master or leave Limgrave. No matter what I do.

This is my first “souls” game. And I knew going in it’d be hard but this is a new level, and it really has me contemplating returning it. Which I really don’t wish to do. Does anyone have any advice? Or a route or really anything to help?

Thank you so much in advance.