Learn English – “More loudly” vs “louder”. Correct usage

Ordinarily, I would also go for "annihilation" in the second blank. But it seems the question wants us to pair up "hubris" and "nemesis" in particular. Which also makes sense.

In the Greek tragedies, "Nemesis" plays the role of official punisher of "hubris" (arrogance before the gods). And in Greek mythology, "Nemesis" is also the spirit tasked with the punishment of people who commit "hubris."

Some English verbs can be used in a verb + adjective structure. The copula, be, is obviously one (I am cold). Verbs used functionally purely as a link between the subject and an adjective (or noun: I am John) have been called link verbs by some, although some say this approach is unacceptably simplistic (see John Lawler's comments in the What are all the words that make up a complete list of linking verbs in English? string).

Verbs which link but also carry semantic weight (he became cold / she stood tall / the rose blushed pink) have been called link-like verbs.

The adjective does not really modify the verb directly as an adverb would. Consider the differences between 'rapidly' and 'cool' (one giving more detail about the process, one describing the final state of the referent) in The lava rapidly became cool. Another example: 'act stupid' can mean something different from 'act stupidly':

to act stupid (= pretend to be stupid) [Collins Spanish Dictionary].

'Play dead' etc are, however, perhaps better treated as inseparable idioms.