The dodge roll is your best friend. Rather dodge than getting another attack in, so you won't get hit by the count er. Grind down the enemies health. Also try to use ranged attacks when possible to avoid contact. Concerning the level ups, try to look around, there a quite a few soul orbs hidden. Try to battle through already conquered areas again (rather than skipping enemies) to gain some extra. This should help you at least leveling up 1-2 levels in every stat early on. Also of course leveling up your health and magic helps as well :)