Try going different route, look around Majula

Hello!

First of all, no one forces you to fight anything on your way, it's alright, skip the monsters and pick up everything you can.
- Especially at the very beginning, when your character does not have the appropriate equipment.

Eventually, this game will teach you to use every opportunity you have (if you continue to play, hhha). It requires your attention - since everything you encounter has a fixed number of moves and abilities - a big part of this game is studying your surroundings and anything that stands out in your path to prevent you from progressing futher.

As for the knights, you may not have noticed, but the entire area is a huge open space... With a beautiful view of the sky and the deepest sea...
- Perhaps... these knights are too heavy... or even they are too prone to spinning... one day they will be punished for this...

If you want to learn your opponent's moves, you'll probably want to raise your Vigor attribute (the first one on the list) to at least 40.
- Alternatively, increase Adaptability to 40 as it has a huge impact on your character's action speed, so your character's rolls will matter. In general, it is always better to avoid blows than to exchange them.
- Or use shields, and small shields are good for parrying (large knights cannot be parried) - to start with.

This game is not difficult at all once you learn most of its aspects.
- The most important lesson, however, is that brute force doesn't always work. Sometimes you have to think...

In any case, we wish you to overcome all the difficulties on your way and have a good time!

Take note of how long it takes for an enemy to rotate its body towards you. If their slow enough, stick close to their body and try to always stay behind them. Apply this strategy to every enemy in the game.

Yeah go forest of giants friend is the other possible way out of Majula those Old Knights arent too bad but it can be annoying waiting for them to swing their multiple slot hits waiting for your turn to hit them.