After considering the possibility of a Horcrux, Matthew immediately tried to verify it. He had found quite a bit of information about Horcruxes in Herpo's Secret Vault.
He was already very familiar with the methods and properties involved in creating Horcruxes.
The vast majority of spells could not damage a Horcrux, and they possessed extremely powerful regenerative abilities. Horcruxes were difficult to destroy through conventional means.
Matthew gave it a try, but he could not force the locket open through brute strength.
Magic surged at Matthew's fingertips as a Transparent Arc Wind Blade swept across the locket's surface. The Wind Blade left a small cut in the locket's glass, but after only one breath, the glass returned to normal.
Then, a giant flaming hand appeared in the air, grabbed the locket, and clenched hard. The locket was crushed into fragments.
But a moment later, it returned to normal again.
Seeing this, Matthew confirmed his judgment. This locket was a Horcrux, and very likely Voldemort's Horcrux. "Kreacher, if I'm not mistaken... this is a Horcrux..."
"A... a Horcrux?" Kreacher seemed somewhat anxious. "Even you cannot destroy it?"
"Of course I have a way to destroy it."
The moment Matthew said that, the locket, which had shown no reaction even when it was crushed, trembled slightly.
Then the locket slowly floated into the air, and its glass cover sprang open on its own. A mass of black smoke drifted out from inside it.
The black smoke in the air gradually condensed into a human shape. He had jet-black hair, handsome features, and a tall, slender figure. His smile was exceedingly friendly, without the slightest hint of aggression.
He first glanced at Kreacher, then turned his gaze toward Matthew.
In a gentle voice, he said, "Matthew Black, we finally meet."
"Hm? Why do