You forgot the third option Jing Yuan, we can do both. That way if something materializes when we reach the second floor, it'll likely focus on the stairs letting the other group attack freely.

I can get the dumbwaiter working again. I have an item from the Tower that'll take care of it for us. [ fight me time to use the suspendium pulley ]

We'll need to figure out how many of us are going and in what form.