Just go level. The game has always involved leveling of some sort. If you don’t like that, WoW is not the game for you.
Many aspects of this game involve little doses of reality. The game was designed by humans. It’s not farfetched to compare the game to reality. If they wanted a completely fantasy game, humanoid toons wouldnt exist at all.
But hey, don’t let reality get in the way of your crying. The salty tears taste great om popcorn.