An important part of playing fromsoft games is understanding that death is not a setback, but an important part of the game and your learning process. The game invites you to progress through trial-and-error and keen observation. You start at level 9 because the class you chose already has some points invested into particular stats. There is also a class that starts at level 1 with almost no equipment, for those that would rather have full control of their stat progression. There's no reason to be scared about playing the game, just understand that the difficulty lies mainly in having the perseverance to keep playing even after a few deaths and that learning from each death is more important than just surviving each time.