One strange thing that most candidates forget is the use of magic and the power that comes with it which can be used to create and destroy.
That's right you could say there are 3 things a race can use to get stronger evolution, technology, or magic so plenty of options to choose from.
Many races outside the game typically focused on one or would go for a mix of two such as magic and technology or evolution and magic.
One example of the 2nd would be Hector's flame and ice hounds which could use the elements to their advantage in a fight and normal life.
Most races can use any element they want but it will vary for each individual on their skill for each one but some choose to be great at one but are locked out from others.
This went for the Little Blues as they had split into two groups of magic users with the first being those that decided to stay up above in the trees.
They found they had a medium affinity for using nature and wind magic while those who stayed underground found they had a medium affinity with earth and darkness magic.
However, they both still had a high affinity for metal while having a low affinity for ice and other elements, but the affinity changed for each individual.
Now even if your race had access to advanced magic like time or death if they didn't have a good affinity it could take them decades to learn the basics. Compared to someone who had an affinity for it and could do it in 1 year so that was why there wasn't a large group of a race trying to get the powerful magic.
Many would rather stick to what they're good at and that will bring the most results so in the end it comes down to a person's affinity.
Some races outside of the games decided to restrict the use of other elements so they could have a stronger affinity with others.
But many refused to do this as it was a balancing act that would need to be performed carefully and have a lot of luck to go with it.
Many races and civilizations tried and failed in this method so few do try it but those that do succeed can either be a great success or will cause the end of a race.
Well take an example of a now-dead race called the Emulators they were an aerial race with two sets of wings and enhanced senses.
You can imagine they were like humanoid Griffin and they certainly had their pride and strength but when it came to magic they fell short.
Their species had a high affinity for wind, light, and darkness but for the other elements they held an extremely low affinity.
Now overall this is very good having a high affinity for 3 elements is very rare most only having 1 or 2 and two of them were quite powerful together.
But the Emulators were prideful and greedy not thankful for the gifts they had and felt it was beneath them to use lesser forms of magic as they called it.
This ungrateful race wanted out of all forms of magic cosmic so that they could fly through the stars and life so that they could become immortal and rule over all other races.
So they did what another sane race would do and because they weren't a candidate race it took much longer to do. It took thousands of years of work and exploration and even more conquering to get the recourse and knowledge they need to change their race's affinity for magic.
Once they had gotten everything the system got involved and they could choose what they wanted as the system was for everyone not just those in the game.
It was a basic form that you could use to communicate and see your information among other things. So they of course used all their affinity in the other elements to raise the affinity in the ones they wanted and it worked.
They managed to get and high affinity for cosmic and life magic but had a low affinity for all others to the point it would take years to progress to the most basic of magic.
Now that they had what they wanted the new generation was born with powerful advanced magic but there was one problem. Many of the newborns had come out disfigured or dead and the Emulatods couldn't understand why even after getting life magic.
The struggle to find the answer nearly made them go insane but it was soon discovered to be 2 reasons one being the stress on the fetus from having 2 high-level affinities which their parents didn't have so there were compatibility problems.
But the main problem was the virus and their race had been infected which they never realized they had and raged to try and find out where it came from.
It turned out a few of the survivors from those other races they attacked and conquered came together and using a mix of blood, psychic, toxin, and death magic they created an extremely deadly magical super virus that destroyed their enemy's new generation.
So the Emulator's entire generation of young barely lived past a week and they had to watch their children and grandchildren die in pain and agony from the second they were born.
After a few years of trying to fix the problem and failing the emulator realized they were a doomed race and that the last of their species would be the generation that caused its very own destruction.
The most ironic thing of it all was that they never got to use their rewards and life and cosmic magic those hopes dying with their babies.
The last of the Emulators would wonder why they weren't happy with what they had been given and all died with the very affinities they hated.
The lesson learned here is to be happy with what you got or else your kids may be killed by a super virus.
Thanks for reading also I just thought I didn't make it clear there was magic in this novel so here you go.