Archolos: How do I get better at the game / stronger?

I've been playing Archolos and it's been so much fun.

But it's been forever since I played Gothic and I feel like I suck at the Battle System. I die soooo much. Everything kills me.... Wolves... Blood flies... Molerats... Lurkers... Bandits...

I am saving / loading a lot and feel the grind.

I'm constantly out of Gold and can't buy good gear.

Can you give me some tips how to improve? I don't have that much time to play games these days. Maybe one to two hours a day...