SOLVED. YA sci fi book I read probably around 2005 in elementary school. [s]

[Rambosudafed]

I remember that it is about this vr fantasy game everyone plays and the end goal is to kill a dragon. The main character and their group dies fighting the dragon and he starts a new character and maxes out the beauty stat. I think it was a female character too. I remember putting points into beauty was a big deal because everyone had always put points into more useful things like strength and their characters were literally gray blobs. The last thing I can remember about it is the NPC's start treating the main character differently with a shopkeeper giving the main character an expensive necklace I believe. I don't think I got very far into the book so all of this happens in the beginning so none of this should be a spoiler. Thanks for your help. I've been trying to remember this book for ages now.

[Ayshe]

Epic by Conor Kostick?

[Rambosudafed]

Yes! Thank you so much. I feel like a weight has been lifted lol.