In Tales of Pirates, if your weak, have no skills and your equips suck that you may feel that the first 40 levels is hard. While you can get a mentor to help you also buy level 35 unseals with torso apparel for blood bull effect later. You will also have a tendency to die unless you have a buffer and some cakes. Remember do not forge. Because at this level you will not have any important items to forge so there is no point. When you finally hit level 40 that do not fight yourself, find someone to help you because these monsters are no joke they will eat you up like cake. So you must be vigilant.
You must buy blood bull and max it and great sword mastery, when you getting an apparel. At level (Tales Of Pirates gold) 45 buy unseals, and they will come in handy with defence and leveling. Try to get con raising equips like 6con boots and gloves, you can buy some con rings if you are rich or you want get a con pet as well. When you put your skills add primal then max blood bull or else you will have alright defense, but no damage. At level 54 you will have maxed primal and become a killer. Also if you want you do not max mighty strike, but add level 4 illusion slash and max zerk which is possible by level 70, however you will need a level 5 gem of wind or level 3 with 2 60 agi rings. A STR champ can be strongest of all champs with forging, rings and the best of the best items.