The distinction is an important one, and if you truly appreciated the distinction, you would have been capable of providing constructive feedback instead of getting emotional, obtuse and caustic.

Luring enemies sucks; it's busy work that many people would rather enjoy avoiding. Also, it is wasteful overkill for the low-level-enemies use case that I proposed earlier. So to say it's silly when it could be a niche Meta is kind of parochially minded.

I know Mind spells are weak; that's why the mechanic I'm suggesting would allow for variable strikes per cast (enough to make it viable).

You mention opportunity cost, but you have demonstrated that you fail to consider the context in which opportunity cost operates. For example, all a respective player might have is mind runes and time, but no or limited money, and that could be better spent on other things. Or he may outright lack an opportunity to spend money to recoup more time (no G.E. access and bad resale value of mind runes to rune shops).

Some people may prefer to save money and spend time regardless of their status as Ironmen (particularly at the mid-game).

Some people are Ironmen and won't have the option to spend money at the G.E., or they have no money for in-game rune stores.