nvm! I did the campaign again and it seems like this is the intended behavior. Picking up the idol faster does not cause any changes
When doing the pilgrimage quest, if you interact with the idol after putting it down in the 2nd to last shrine, but click away right as it finishes, your character picks up the idol, but doesn’t get the debuff.
Hell monsters still spawn, but act weirdly and don’t drop corpses (?)
The quest is able to continue as normal, and you’re able to put the idol back down on the last shrine.
I have a screenshot of my character carrying the idol without a debuff, but I can’t include links or media in the post. https://i.imgur.com/kphP5wq.png