Noita was another inspiartion when making this - the inverted power curve is real! Start squishy, become a god, die anyway.

I feel this comment. Seriously though, damage reflection was one of the many insanely annoying things about that game.

No, I think I'm seeing the same bug. Time seems to sometimes subjectively freeze:

    ─── Messages ───                                                                                                                                                                                                              
      Old man shuts the gate behind you. You hear him mutter "every time, I swear..."                                                                                                                                              
      You must retrieve the Amulet of Lost Semicolons.                                                                                                                                                                             
      You kill the rat! (sneak attack!)                                                                                                                                                                                            
      The rat squeals and dies!                                                                                                                                                                                                    
      You wait. (x10)                                                                                                                                 ᛜ                                                                            
    ᚢ You kill the rat! (sneak attack!)                                                             ᛉ                                                                                                                              
      The rat squeals and dies!                                                                                                                                                                                                    
      You hear muttering.                                                  ᛋ                                                                                                                                                       
      You hear muttering.                                                                                                                                                                                                          
      You hear muttering.                                                                                                                                                                                                          
      You hear a distant creak.                                                                                                                       ᛖ                                                     ᛃ                      
      The runestone crumbles as you touch it. You learn: ᛟ means "ice"!                                               ᛚ                                                                                                            
      You hear a distant creak.                                                                                                                                                                                                    
      The goblin misses you. (x3)                                                                                                                                                                                                  
      The goblin hits you for 4.                                                                                                                                                                                                   
      The goblin hits you for 3.                                                                                                           ᛏ                                                                                       
      The goblin hits you for 4.                                                                                                                                                                                                   
      The goblin hits you for 3.                                                                                                                                                                                                   
      The goblin misses you.                                                                                                 ᛚ                                                                                                     
      The goblin hits you for 4.                                                                                                                                                                                                   
      The goblin hits you for 2.                                                                                                                                                                                                   
      The goblin hits you for 4.                                                                                                                                                                                                   
      The goblin misses you.                                                                                                                                                                                                       
      The goblin hits you for 2.                                                                                                                                                                                                   
      The goblin misses you. (x2)                                                                                                                                                                                                  
      The goblin hits you for 2.                                                                                                                                                                                                   
      The goblin kills you!                                                                                                                                                                                                        
      You die...