Non-boss combat is just another part of resource management. You pay in health, mana, or corruption to either unlock new areas, simplify passage, or to reach something worth mining with a risk of ending the day, wasting that limited currency known as time. /Arwin
I believe the missing wife was originally supposed to be the new hire upstairs.
Lastly, how does not trusting an enemy demon to keep his word relate to being unwilling to take a hit for the sake of others?